

Dragon Slave

Written by

Delaney Walnofer

The Dragon Slave Trilogy

Book One . . . Dragon Slave

Book Two . . . Dragon Clutch

Book Three . . . Dragon Fool

Cover illustrated by Delaney Walnofer

Copyright © 2014 by Delaney Walnofer  
All rights reserved.  
ISBN-13: 978-1311209047

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoy this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their preferred authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

For You, the Reader

Prologue

"So then," Chadwick, the king's son, prattled excitedly, "you be the Dragon Slave, and I'll be the mighty prince!" The child playfully brandished a wooden sword in his hand.

"Chad, wait," his younger sister, Theora, said in her high pitched voice. "Who will be the dragon?"

Chad paused to think a moment. "Tyrone!" he exclaimed. "Tyrone makes a great dragon!"

"No!" Theora yelled. "I don't want to play with Tyrone!"

"Why not?" Chadwick asked her, confused. "He's never been mean to you."

"I don't want to play with Tyrone," Theora repeated.

"Fine," Chad gave in heatedly. "But since Tyrone can't play with us, you have to be the girl and the dragon."

"That doesn't make sense!" Theo protested. "You'd have to kill me to save me."

"Well, it makes no sense either way," Chad pointed out. "Come on Theo, let's play."

Theo growled and crouched as a dragon on top a pile of leaves, her hoard. She switched characters, sitting down to sadly pick up and rub each leaf one by one. Then Chadwick came galloping, and Theo stood up to meet him so they could fight.

They were still playing when a boy with dark brown hair, around the same age as Chadwick, leapt from a thicket. "Hey!"

Theo froze with a sharp inward breath as she saw him.

"Tyrone!" Chadwick laughed, dropping his sword and running over to meet him. Theo fled for the nearest tree, climbing up to hide amongst its leaves. She tried not to sneeze as the dust of its bark tickled her nose. Shyly, she peeked out at her brother and his friend.

Tyrone had something in his hands. He showed it to Chadwick, who goggled at it. From where Theo was, she could just barely see that it was a tiny wyvern. Tyrone held it out to Chadwick and the young prince took it, laughing when it flapped its wings like a baby bird and flew for Theo's tree. Theo pulled her legs in as it landed on the branch where her foot had just been.

Theo eyed the wyvern uneasily. Its slim body was marble white, with a thin tail and webbed wings.

"Go away!" she whispered, waving her arms to scare it away.

The creature stared at her with frightening, beady, red eyes. It opened its mouth and parroted back at her in perfect imitation, "Go away!" flapping its wings in aggravation.

Theo screamed and lost her grip, falling out of the tree. There was a loud Crack! and she screamed again in agony, her leg snapped underneath her body.

"Theora!" Tyrone's and Chadwick's faces loomed over her with horrified expressions.

Theo wailed, the bright sky and green leaves blotched behind a shield of tears that spilled over and raced down the sides of her face.

"Theo!" Chadwick repeated. He hastily looked about, trying to decide what to do. "I can get you to Nimue!" He spoke of their nurse, a kind old lady who made a better mother than their true one- the stern, no-nonsense queen.

He tried picking up Theo and she shrieked.

"Stop, you're hurting her!" Tyrone said. "I'll get Nimue myself."

"No!" Chadwick yelped, the need to do something shining through his eyes. "You stay with her, I'll be back!"

He raced away. Tyrone turned his worried gaze to Theo, who now trembled with whimpers of pain.

"Theo..." he voiced softly.

The wyvern flew down from the tree, landing on him, and he started in surprise.

"That...that dragon attacked me," Theo gasped between breaths, auburn hair falling out of her face.

"You must have scared her, Theo," he told her as she shook with sobs. "She's never hurt anyone before."

"No..." she gulped, "it talked to...to me!"

Tyrone didn't say anything. He just kept looking at her with concern.

Soon there came the sound of people running. Chadwick was back with Nimue.

"Theo!" Nimue clamored, clutching her wrinkled hands to her matronly bosom. "Oh no, sweet child! Boys, run for the groomsmen and a cart. Hurry now!"
Chapter 1

"Would you like anything, Your Royal Highness?" a lady in waiting asked the adolescent in her chambers.

Princess Theora slumped in the castle window. "No," she groaned insipidly, cheek slipping from her hand. She ran her fingers through her long hair, watching commoners going about their lives down below.

How is it that the common people always have something to work towards? Theo wondered. I don't have to strive for anything.

She knew she should be grateful for her easy life- that so many people envied her for it. And yet, she could think of no life duller than her own. Now that I've grown out of playing, what is there left for me to do? Chadwick gets to practice sword-play and go hunting...Neither of those are proper for a lady.

"Ma'am, would you like me to have your horse readied for you?" the woman suggested.

Theo sighed. "I suppose..." she answered. The maid backed out with a curtsy.

A wingless, cat-sized dragon slinked along the roofs of villagers' houses and Theo distastefully turned her gaze away. Horrible little things.

After a moment, she stood up, checking her dress as she did so. Leaving her chambers, she ventured through the castle, passing cleaning servants through the Main Hall. In the courtyard, Theo straightened her posture as she saw the queen, her prim, orderly mother, nearby.

At last, she reached the castle stables, where a stable boy awaited her with her steed.

"Your horse, Your Highness," the boy addressed her with a hasty bow.

Theo smiled, pleased to see her horse. When Theo was a young child, she had heard of a newborn foal that had just barely survived birth. Curious, she had asked to see it. At the moment she first gazed upon the weak, grey horse she decided it was hers. Her mother tried to convince her against it. Wouldn't you like a nice, pretty, white one instead? she had asked.

Her father also criticized her choice, saying that a princess should ride a strong, noble horse fit for royalty. But despite her parents' disapproval, Theo would not consent to any other steed. Theo named her Nigh, in remembrance of the horse's near death experience. Nigh had grown up to be a beautiful, elegant horse. Her soft coat was dappled grey. The hair of her mane was light and silky, soothing to the touch.

Nigh stood as the only animal Theo truly liked, the only one that Theo enjoyed to be around. She was gentle and quiet. She was not a show of brute force and bulk in muscle like so many other horses Theo had seen.

"Chadwick," Theo would often say when she saw his horse bothering hers. "Please take that nuisance of yours away."

But at this, Chadwick would only grin and so Theo would irritably ask a servant to retie her horse somewhere else.

Presently, Theo was helped into Nigh's saddle. Accompanied by two guards and two maids, also mounted, Theo set out through the village to expansive fields. She followed paths, enjoying the fresh, abundant air that cooled her face and smoothed her hair.

Suddenly, Theo noticed a change in Nigh's behavior. The horse pulled to a halt as they came across the white dung of a dragon. Nigh began traipsing nervously in place and Theo stroked her neck to assuage her. Her horse had always been especially afraid of dragons. Theo did not care for them either.

She'd actually been hearing stories about them from the rich for years. Stories about cat and dog sized dragons sneaking in and stealing away with valuable items. The first person to complain was jeered at, but when more and more people came to the towns with similar tales, everyone reconsidered.

Such stories reminded Theo of the wyvern in the tree that talked to her. There was a time when even she thought she had imagined it, but with thieving dragons appearing out of nowhere and disappearing with personal property, she wasn't so sure.

It confused her. All the dragons she'd ever seen gave her little to no impression that they were at all intelligent- not that she'd studied them too closely.

Perhaps they're like magpies, she contemplated, snatching anything that shines. Or perhaps they've been trained by criminals.

But then, she thought, that still doesn't explain the wyvern speaking.

As she thought about this, she carefully eased Nigh around the dung and they continued on their way.

Passing through the large trading town, Swaineford, the sound of clopping hooves cluttered the air as they rode over a big stone bridge. Swaine River ran fluently underneath, bending towards the castle to provide the kingdom of Wystil with the water they needed.

Theo and her servants journeyed farther and farther from the castle, spotting a herd of deer which sprang away. The path led them into a thickening forest, only ever clearing to reveal a sandy bank.

"Whoa," Theo slowed Nigh to a stop as they neared the stream, Iron Creek. Never before had a Wystilian crossed this creek to the other side, for along it grew what the commoners referred to as the iron bond plants.

Everything about these plants was dense and impenetrable- roots, core, and all. They grew tall and close to each other, reaching out with their branches to meet and lock around their neighbors', forming a thick wall that no human could climb over, dig under, or pass through. Wystilians had even tried burning the plants down, but with no success. To build something over it would cost too much time, money, and effort considering there was such little promise of what lay beyond.

Right beyond the wall of plants was a range of mountains. It was thought that the iron bond plants relied heavily on both water and the nutrients that washed down from the mountains. This would explain why the plants grew for miles, only between the mountains and creek, and never further outward.

Beyond the mountain range was land completely unknown to the Wystilians.

Theo looked down the creek. She had heard that farther downstream, well out of Wystil territory, the creek eventually departed from the mountains and the wall of iron bonds ceased. This left a small unblocked stretch, yet there was something else that kept people away. Many stories were told of the legendary dragon that destroyed the castle of Wystil's enemy, Crageria. This dragon was said to be of terrible size, with a hide the colors of rusted metal.

Stray survivors had come to Wystil begging for refuge, but a famine was upon them and Theo's father was firm in sending them away. And so, with nowhere else to go, it was believed that all the Cragerians died away.

The terrible dragon lived on, dwelling in the castle ruins, feasting on whatever animals entered its domain. In admiration of the beast's power, the king, Theo's father, called it Zeus. He ordered his people never to go near Crageria, in hopes that the beast would not be lured into Wystil. As far as Theo knew, no one ever dared go against his warning.

Zeus...There were rumors that he was getting ready to migrate to more populated areas, where food for a dragon is plenty. Theo bit her lip thinking about it. Oh, how her brother used to taunt her with stories of Zeus, of the lumbering beast burning down villages and swallowing pretty girls. Especially princesses, he'd add mischievously.

At least there's no evidence of Zeus ever breathing fire, she comforted herself. Surely that idea is simply for children.

A summer storm gathered far upstream. In the distance, heavy, grey clouds were smeared across the sky and she could feel the nearing rain in the warm air. Her guards and servants shifted uneasily.

"It looks like there's a storm on its way, Ma'am," one of them spoke up. "May I suggest we be heading back now?"

"In a moment," Theo responded, eyeing the creek. "One drink of the stream and then we'll be on our way to the castle." She slipped out of the saddle to descend the escarpment. Her feet dislodged pebbles and they tumbled down the slope. Precariously, she knelt down to dip her hands in the smoothly running water. Both her guards also dismounted, drawing closer to her in their overly protective manner.

They turned their heads as the sound of rumbling thunder throbbed throughout the sky. "Princess?" said a guard, offering his hand to help her up. But in that moment the roaring of raging water rose and Theo saw the swelling of a huge wave rushing down the creek towards them.

Flash flood.

The maids screamed. The horses reared. Theo's guards yelled and tried to grab her, but they were too late- the wave hit. Theo and her men were caught up off their feet, turned in nauseating cycles and battered by objects. Something hit Theo in the head and her senses scattered.

Then, as though in a dream, she felt herself caught up in someone's grasp and lifted high into the air, the violent rapids left far below. Mysteriously, she was taken, gliding along to be set safely down on the ground. Her vision was weak. From the earth she saw a large, green beast with bat-like wings, and a man kneeling over her, trying to give her something. She smiled at the hallucinations, then coughed up water and lost herself to darkness.
Chapter 2

When Theo became conscious again, she was aware of a feeling completely foreign to her. She opened her eyes and saw that something extended from her face.

Am I wearing a mask? she wondered.

The sound of rushing water came to her attention and she turned her head to it. The flooded creek was but a few steps away from where she lay. Now she remembered. Collision, thrashing, shock, pain, and then- she must have been delusional, seeing things before she blacked out.

As for the present, Theo felt perplexingly well. Her head was clear, she wasn't exhausted in the least, and no trace of pain could be detected throughout her body.

How is this possible?

Theo was reminded of those also hit by the flash flood. Scanning the scenery in front of her, it appeared that no one else was there but her.

Are they all dead because of me? Dreading the possibility, she twisted around to look for others behind her.

It was then that she saw what she thought to be a dragon. The quiet moans that emitted from its throat, Theo had originally excused as part of the sounds of the rapids, but now they were easily detected. The beast was tendril green, slightly larger than a horse. It was preoccupying itself by grinding its head into the ground, as though in turmoil.

Disturbed, Theo stared and felt the urge to move away. It seems my head is not as clear as I thought.

She tried to stand herself up but was brought back down to all fours, as if she was not structurally built to walk on two legs. By now, Theo was thoroughly bewildered. When she looked at herself, she found that she, too, had the body of a dragon- slate grey and complete with four legs, two wings, and a tail. This vision confirmed to Theo that she was, in fact, dreaming.

Now subtly humored by having figured out the bizarre situation, Theo expected to awaken at any moment. Yet the more she thought about it, the more real everything around her felt, and her disturbance began to increase.

The dragon had noticed her. Silently, it raised its head, dirt falling from its crown. For a long time it stared at her, and Theo stared right back. She was extremely uneasy, but her body was unwilling to move. She could see the animal's eyes. It looked as if it were thinking.

"Aspen!" A harsh voice startled Theo. The green dragon also looked in the direction of the caller, its body drawn in tightly.

Theo saw another dragon, dark midnight blue, step out from behind cover. The green one dropped low, stepping back as the other advanced on it.

"Where's Damon?" the dark brute thundered.

Theo stiffened to see the dragon actually speak. Memories flung themselves at her- memories of the white, red eyed wyvern in a tree. Go away! it had hissed.

My God, Theo balked. Dragons actually do talk! I've been right all this time...

"I don't know!" the one called Aspen cried in response to the brute, shrinking lower still to the ground, her belly plates scraping against dirt. There was a moment in which both paused in their clamor. It appeared the dominant one was trying to make a decision. Then he turned his head to stare directly at Theo.

She, too, felt pressed down to earth under his glare.

"We can't leave her for the humans to discover," he spoke again to Aspen. "Already one has seen you dive and bring her to shore- before running away screaming. No doubt she went to get the human authorities."

"What do we do, Wycker?" Aspen implored and the assertive one eased his stance to face Theo.

"We will bring her to Damon and have him examine her," the one called Wycker responded, proceeding closer to Theo.

Now Theo backed away. This didn't feel like a dream at all.

"Come with me," Wycker growled to her, stepping ever nearer. Immediately, Theo turned and tried to run. Just as quickly, Wycker was on top of her, crushing her into the ground.

This is real. This is real! Theo couldn't keep telling herself that she was dreaming. It all felt too genuine. I've been transformed into a dragon!

"Wycker!" Aspen yelped.

"Get over here!" Wycker snapped at Aspen and she edged into Theo's view. Theo fought them, but it was no use. When she wore out, Wycker let her go, blocking her way when she tried to run again. He and Aspen moved themselves inward to herd Theo. She panicked when she realized that they were forcing her towards the water. She halted, but was butted on until her talons touched the water's edge. With a final ram from Wycker, she was sent into the rapids.

She had expected a shock of cold but, to her surprise, it never came. Only her eyes could sense the numbing temperature and. when her head resurfaced. the feeling was distant.

The moment Theo was engulfed she was battered by the currents. Her wings caught water like sails, and she found herself twisted and turned to no end. She could only catch glimpses of her escorts, but in those snips of time she could see that they were flying, just above the water.

Something snatched one of her wings, and she could feel something trying to get her other. When both her wings were caught and lifted out of the water, so that only her body was submerged, she was able to gather her senses.

"You have to pull your wings in," Wycker said, holding her left wing in his claws. Aspen struggled to keep a hold of Theo's right wing, awkwardly gripping and re-gripping the places that slipped. She could see that the two of them were having trouble flying so close together.

"Pull your wings in!" Wycker repeated, aggravated as he fought the currents for Theo, while avoiding contact with Aspen's wingspan.

"I can't!" Theo gasped between splashes.

Wycker cursed.

"Aspen, let go of her!" he ordered.

"Wait!" Theo cried, flailing as both her wings were released. Again, she was caught up in the flow, but then something made hard impact with her from above, plunging her under. It was Wycker.

With his help, she finally managed to close her wings and they swam through a large, dark opening before resurfacing. Here, the water was much less violent.

Theo looked around in awe. What they had gone through must have been some kind of underwater passageway that split the creek. Theo had never heard about it. She expected no one else knew of it. No one except for the dragons, that is.

What amazed her most was the iron bond plants. Here, they grew on both sides of the creek, their branches forming a thatched roof above her to completely hide the sky. Light filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled patterns everywhere.

The wide stream flowed through a rocky trench. Theo had just enough room to stand.

With a gasp, Aspen surfaced.

"Sorry," she apologized, looking at Theo in a friendly way. "I was having trouble with my wings, too."

Theo was curious of her.

"Come on," Wycker prompted, gruffly. "We'll make it through the valley and see if Damon is at his place."

Theo didn't move and neither did Aspen. Wycker looked at them both. "You lead," he ordered, making eye contact with Theo.

Theo took a deep breath. Move further into unmarked territory? She knew she didn't have a choice. Grudgingly, she stepped past Wycker, who eyed her every move as he fell into step close behind her.

Theo stared ahead as the end of the tunnel slowly came upon them. At last, she sloshed through it, and saw that the land opened up in a display of forest and meadow. The creek burbled on, cutting its way through trees that pierced the sky.

Everything was so beautiful.

Wycker mounted the bank to Theo's right, and she willingly did the same, soaking in all that she saw.

When she finally looked away from the scenery, she gaped at the first and only evidence of man there- a shabby shelter built up against the mountainside.

"Who lives here?" she asked, astounded.

"Damon!" Aspen replied brightly and began to whisper, "He's a-"

"We will wait here for his arrival," Wycker interrupted.

They waited in expectation, Theo's mind racing. Who's Damon? Are there any other humans living here? What else lives in this forest?

As it became dark, Theo could see the change in lighting but found that she still had no trouble seeing.

How strange...Dragons see in the dark? she wondered, but soon lost interest. Doubts that the man, Damon, would ever show up wormed their way into her head. Fatigued and upsettingly confused, she lay down to rest.

. . .

In the morning, Theo lay awake with eyes open.

"Theora?"

Theo jumped, whipping around when she heard her name. A large dragon was standing there. Behind him was Wycker, glaring at her as always.

"Theora, you can call me Adder," the large dragon said calmly. "I understand that you've been under a great amount of stress lately, but I'd like to speak with you."

Each of his scales was a different shade of grey, making him look like a body of swirling shadows when he moved. Theo looked up at him, intimidated despite his placid approach.

"Alright..." Theo responded, feeling very small.

"Wycker has informed me of your unfortunate situation and you have my condolences. However, seeing as your current state of being cannot be helped, there are some things I need to explain to you."

"Please do. I don't understand what's going on," she deplored.

"Who you know to be Zeus, we dragons call the Maelstrom. You have heard of this dragon dwelling in the Cragerian castle ruins, yes?"

Theo nodded.

"He, the Maelstrom, used to be a human, as did I."

They used to be human too? Theo stared up at Adder but could not imagine him as a human.

"He and I were known by different names then. We were brothers, living with the rest of our family in Crageria. As I was the eldest and our parents were dead, I took on the responsibility of caring for our siblings and cousins. There was a famine upon us so I had to cut rations short, but my brother was unable to understand why. Though he had the body of an adult man, his mind had stayed that of a child's.

"When I caught him stealing food from our storage, I was forced to fight him off and he left. No one knew where he had gone, but the family needed me. I was unable to go out and search for him.

"A week or so passed when he returned, though I didn't know it, as he was a large dragon. I suppose he had come back for my help, but not even I could tell who he was. Terrified of the beast, Crageria attacked him. Something in his mind snapped and he went on a violent rampage, murdering everyone and tearing apart the castle. He brought our numbers down to a few dozen. I was one of the survivors. When Wystil refused to grant us refuge, we were forced to turn to the land beyond the mountain range. Crageria had the only known access to that land, the Narrow Valley.

"We traveled through the valley to the forests and meadows that it led to. More of us starved to death, but then-"

He paused, making sure that Theo was keeping up with him.

"We were overjoyed to find a cluster of plants bearing much fruit. We didn't think, just grabbed what we could and ate our fill. It wasn't long after that we realized the severity of what we'd done."

Theo waited. When it appeared he thought he'd said enough, she pursued, "Which was?"

Adder looked at her in mild surprise as he had to explain, "The fruit of the firesap plant had transformed us into dragons. Now, if we are injured or ill, eating the firesap fruit again will restore us."

"So I became a dragon because I ate firesap fruit?" Things were so crazy that Theo was ready to believe just about anything.

"Yes," Adder replied. "When Aspen caught you and brought you ashore, Damon must have given you the firesap fruit."

. . .

By the next day, and the next, Damon still did not come. Nevertheless, Wycker was patient and refused to let Theo go anywhere else. And so she waited restlessly, always keeping the Archway through which she first entered dragon territory in view. The beauty of her surroundings no longer had any grip on her and she wished to return home again, but was forever pinned by Wycker's glare. Melancholy took over her and the days began to melt together indistinguishably. Strangely enough, she did not grow hungry and so she ate nothing. Instead, she passed her time by scratching drawings into the dirt, examining her new foreclaws, stretching her legs and wings.

One day, Theo was napping when the sound of someone wading through the creek aroused her. She was amazed as she watched him cross the water towards them- an actual man!

He truly looked like a man of the woods. His shaggy dark hair, poorly cut, looked like an unkempt mess. He let it hang over his eyes, as though seeing clearly didn't matter to him. Whatever Theo could see of his face looked completely exhausted. His garments were well-worn, scratched and dirty. He looked like a careless mess.

"Damon," Wycker growled, meeting him on the bank. "What's taken you so long?"

"I had a horse to deal with," the man, Damon, answered casually, as though talking to a dragon was normal for him. "And after that I didn't feel like fighting the currents, so I went the long way around the mountain range to pass through the Narrow Valley."

"You were not permitted to give anyone the firesap fruit," Wycker accused.

"Wasn't I?" the man asked tiredly. "I don't recall anyone having authority over the matter. Besides, I wasn't going to let my sister die right in front of me."

"Your sister is the Princess!" Wycker snapped, "What will the humans do now that she's a dragon?"

Sister? Theo was thoroughly confused.

"They don't know she's a dragon," Damon murmured. Theo thought she saw him shoot her a sidelong glance.

"No, you're right," Wycker replied darkly, "They don't know what has happened to their princess. All they know is that a dragon came and took her."

Warren and Chadwick are the only two brothers I've ever had...What are they talking about? Who is this man?

Damon turned to Aspen, standing not far away. "They saw you?" he asked, concerned.

"A maid did," Wycker replied for her. "She ran, screaming, before you appeared and made matters worse."

"And you didn't stop her?"

"I couldn't risk myself being seen, nor dare leave her," Wycker jerked his head in Theo's direction. Then, as he saw Theo listening in on their conversation, he pulled Damon aside.

Aspen stood awkwardly nearby, looking highly uncomfortable.

"I can look for a cure but understand I have no idea if one really exists," Theo could barely hear Damon say. "And even if I did find one, would it be best for her to go back?"

Theo couldn't hear Wycker's response. The two of them went on discussing for some time.

Theo did not know what to do. Just so long as Wycker was there, escape was impossible. Miserably, she laid down. Over the few days, she had found that resting her chin on her front foreclaws, as she'd seen dogs do with their paws, was fairly comfortable.

"I'm sorry," Aspen whimpered suddenly and Theo shifted her eyes to see her. "I know you don't want to be a...It must be so nice to be a human. I...I can't imagine how you must be feeling."

Theo stared dolefully ahead. "Why did Damon do this to me?" she uttered.

"Because you would have died otherwise- He could tell!" Aspen ratified, sounding desperate for Theo to believe her.

He should have just let me go.

"Listen," Theo urged, getting up and looking Aspen in the eye. "Tell me there's some kind of way to reverse it. I can't stay like this."

"Sorry," the smaller dragon rued. "You'll have to talk to Damon about that. He should know. He's a wizard."

"Wonderful," Theo groaned, looking over at the man still talking to Wycker. Now I need a wizard's help.

Theo tried again to hear what they were saying. "I've never come across anything that would have that effect," Damon said. "I may be able to put something together to do the trick- a kind of potion. But that could take a very long time, believe me."

Again, Theo did not catch Wycker's response.

"Fine," Damon replied. "But what are you going to do about it in the meantime?"

Wycker turned and began walking towards Theo. Damon followed.

"You made me like this," Theo accused the wizard. "Make it right again."

"Damon will be working on that," Wycker intervened, "But as for now you will be staying here where you are not a problem."

Theo rose sharply. "You cannot keep me. I am the Princess!" she spat.

Wycker was not moved at all. "Not of my concern," he answered. "So long as you stay on this side of the mountains, I won't bother you. Just don't cause any problems."

With that he stalked away and Theo heatedly watched him go, frustrated as she knew it was best not to try him.

Damon still stood there. He looked Theo up and down.

"Who are you, Wizard?" she growled at him.

Irritably, she waited for him to answer, unable to stop noticing a beetle darting in and out of his tunic.

"I'm sure you have heard of your eldest brother, Warren?" Damon spoke finally.

Theo slanted her eyes at him. "He was said to be destined for greatness as King," she answered.

"Yes, but he died in a battle against Crageria in Wystil's attempt to obtain food during the famine," Damon said.

"This I know," Theo retorted. "Who are you?"

"You have heard of Warren," Damon put off her question. "But never of your second eldest brother, the boy who looked up to Warren in admiration of his nobility and readiness to take the throne-"

"I know of my brother Chadwick!" Theo snapped.

Damon looked at her with sorrow. "Chadwick is not your second eldest brother, Theora," he murmured. "I am."

Theo scoffed at his sudden, preposterous declaration.

"When Warren lived," Damon went on to explain. "Father paid little attention to me, eagerly teaching his favored son how to be a king. I lived happily in that time, comforted by my brother's own accomplishments. However, when Warren died, Father realized his mistake in not preparing me for the throne. I ran away soon after, unable to bear the weight of expectations instantly thrown on my shoulders."

"In that time, the water was running low. Moving up Iron Creek in hopes of covering my tracks, I found an opening underground. I crawled inside and camouflaged the gap with bushes. There, I saw that the opening was actually the entrance to a tunnel. The land that awaited me on the other side has since then served as my refuge."

Theo wanted to object, but she could not find fault in his words. Chadwick and she had been raised, hearing stories of their noble elder brother who died a warrior's death. Chadwick always listened to such stories attentively, seeking to make as good of an heir as Warren. The name Damon, however, never reached their ears.

"I won't believe it..." Theo uttered, shaking her head in dream-like slow motion.

"I rarely visited the towns for supplies," Damon told her. "But when I did, I'd try to gather as much news about my family as I could. It was then that I heard how Father had wrathfully ordered whoever spoke of my name again to be put to death. Thus, I was forgotten. Later I heard of my younger brother's birth, and after that, yours. You can imagine how I felt, knowing that I was unable to meet you both..."

"So what? You expect me to sympathize with you?!" she sneered.

Damon took on an empty look. "I don't know," he sighed and walked to his shelter.

Theo watched him as her anger faded into guilt.

Aspen stood where she was before, eyes wide with fright at Theo's outburst. Seeing Theo's gaze settling on her, Aspen spun around to join Damon in his shelter, looking fearful that she might be yelled at next.

Theo looked behind her and saw that Wycker had been watching, an expression of pure indifference on his face. Their eyes met and he too walked away, leaving her completely alone.

Theo felt as though her life was destroyed. She had no family in her present form, and she had just scared away any means of a friend.

She plowed blindly through the forest. Eventually she came across a large slab of rock and found that beneath its over ledge was a dugout big enough for her to lie in. It was there that she hid in solitude.

It was there that she pretended to be nothing at all.
Chapter 3

Theo stayed hidden under that large slab of rock for days, pitifully miserable.

How long will I be like this? she cried inwardly, but no tears watered her reptilian eyes as she longed for the things of her normal, human life. I have no chamber, I have no horse...no table to dine at, no servants...

Though in her mind she wished for a bed, her dragon form was well at ease, lying on the cold, earthy ground.

From there, she watched as animals of all kinds passed. Birds pecked at the ground, rodents scampered by. A deer once came into view, only to bound off again when it sensed Theo nearby. Theo often saw dragons, the tiny ones that came out to bask in the sun. These were the dragons that Theo was used to seeing, before she was turned into this oversized beast.

Once, a small dragon came right up to Theo. It was the perfect miniature of a large dragon, exquisitely detailed. Curiously, the young dragon peered into Theo's eyes. It must be a baby, Theo thought. It looks innocent enough.

There was a rustle in the undergrowth and the hatchling turned its head. Its interest redirected, the little one toddled away without another look at her.

. . .

There came a time when a rabbit drew daringly close to Theo. She supposed the animal had its eye on some clover, not far from where she lay in the shadows.

The rabbit lopped a couple steps at a time, pausing to check its surroundings. The wind carried its scent to Theo. With every small hop, Theo felt her body get tenser. Hop, hop, hop...hop. Too close.

Immediately, Theo was up, the creature suddenly lifeless, crushed under her two front foreclaws. Horrified, Theo removed herself from it. Blood spilled from its smashed skull- a gruesome sight, yet she couldn't take her eyes off of it. The scent of fresh kill was strong, making her salivate. She was lured in by it. The moment her muzzle touched the carcass, she snapped it up and swallowed it whole without another thought. As impulse faded, she dropped to her belly and mournfully licked the blood from the blades of grass. She forced herself to stop, even though the taste was so good. Theo buried her head in her foreclaws, depressed. Never before had she been so disgusted with herself.

"Theora?"

Theo sprung to her feet and whirled around to see Damon standing there.

"Did you find a cure? Please tell me you found a cure!" Theo begged him instantly, hoping he wouldn't notice the rabbit's blood dribbling from her chin.

Damon shook his head and looked to the ground. "No, I haven't yet, sorry. I just came to make sure you're alright." He brushed more hair in front of his face, as though to hide his eyes, turned and walked away.

Theo thought for sure she could hear the sound of her heart dropping to the pit of her hollow rib cage. A throbbing, empty echo.

. . .

The day came when she grew sick of the cool shade. Reluctantly, she ventured out to where the sun hit. The heat soaked through her tough hide to her core. She closed her eyes to enjoy its pleasant warmth.

In the distance she heard a strange sound. It continued on, rising and dropping, speeding and slowing in a weird musical manner. As she became used to it, she closed her eyes again and allowed herself time to set aside her worries.

Time passed and she noticed the sound was gradually increasing in volume. When it became so loud that Theo believed the source was just around the bend, she looked in its direction.

She saw the silver head of a dragon appear. She uneasily drew herself in as she saw that the dragon was at least her size. The strange noises that echoed for miles came from deep within his throat, and his body moved in slow and subtle sways that Theo guessed to be his way of dancing.

His eyes were closed as he concentrated on his composition, yet he also seemed to be aware of her presence. He opened his eyes to gaze at her, and ended his melody with one long lasting hum.

"Greetings," he purred. "I am Clyde- heard from the distance!" He flexed his silvery white wings which gleamed in the sunlight. Theo viewed him, thrown by his oddity.

"I'm Princess Theora..." she murmured at a loss.

The dragon grinned in a very reptilian way. "My respects, Princess," he said, dipping his head as a bow. "But may I tell you that I am one of the few dragons who would know what a princess is?"

Theo blinked. This dragon, Clyde, was succeeding to confuse her even more.

"You see," he explained, "I am considered a Cragerian, because I used to be a human, part of the kingdom, Crageria. The offspring of Cragerians were hatched and began their lives as dragons from the start, thus they are not considered Cragerians. I do believe you are princess of the kingdom, Wystil, yes?"

Theo nodded bleakly.

Clyde mirrored her nod, looking very pleased with his conversation. "Princess Theora of Wystil..." he breathed. "How very nice."

Theo looked down at the ground. He must have read the sadness upon her for he dropped his cheery mood.

"I know how you feel," he sighed. "I felt the same way when I lost everything."

Theo slumped. Over the past week and a half she had noticed dragons could not produce tears.

"It's not all bad, you'll see."

Theo met his eyes. "I can't stay like this," she whispered.

"Yes, I suppose you still have something to go back to." He almost sounded bitter, but it passed quickly and Theo could not be sure. "Perhaps you would like it if I introduced you to others?" he suggested.

Theo thought that the thing she wanted the least was to be around more dragons, but an ache of loneliness lingering within her made her nod. Theo couldn't understand herself. She had expected to lose such a human characteristic when she became a reptile.

Hopefully, Damon will know to look for me there, where the other dragons are. That is, if he ever finds a cure...

She followed Clyde at his side and, as they walked, he chatted pleasantly.

"I was a messenger boy, as a human," he remarked.

Theo's response was minimalistic, but she was truly interested. It comforted her that he was a dragon she could relate to. She listened to his stories of being a messenger earnestly. Then he got to a story far more severe. He told her of his experience when the Maelstrom attacked, telling her of who he lost. He talked about how Wystil refused to let them in and how they could do nothing but escape through the Narrow Valley.

"When we got past the mountain range and found the firesap fruit- you've heard of the firesap fruit, yes? Well, everyone was so eager to eat that no one took a moment to think before it was too late."

"That's what Adder said," Theo recalled.

"Ah, so you've met Adder? He's the eldest of us Cragerians...He's very wise, very wise indeed." He nodded. "Anyway, after all was done it took us quite some time to accept our new forms. And when we finally did, there was a split between us. Adder was actually the one who proposed the new philosophy that we were all equal and should be untouched by materialism.

"Our bodies were equipped to survive in the wild and physical things no longer brought us comfort. Many of us liked Adder's idea. With our new lives, we were ready to accept a new way of thinking. However, not everyone felt the same way. Laurel used to be a Cragerian duchess. She was quite familiar with being pampered and cared for by her servants. Because I was once drawn by visual attractiveness as a human, I can say with certainty that she made a very beautiful dragon. She was not willing to give up her life of nobility and see her servants rise to the same level as her. She demanded that she be respected as part of a higher class. Adder tried to explain to her that those ways were old. There was no longer any such thing as wealth. The noble blood that once ran through her veins had been changed.

"Still, she refused to give in, giving herself the title the Golden Dragon. She still had with her four servants who stayed loyal to her. When everyone else refused to do as she willed, she and her servants left for the Lake."

"The Lake?" Theo echoed inquiringly.

"Yes, there is a lake a ways from here, farther up along the mountain range," he said. "It is there where the other rogue dragons tend to lurk about."

"Rogue dragons?"

"We refer to those who do not associate themselves with the main colony as rogues. The Golden Dragon and her servants hated Adder's proposal, while many others took it too far. They relished the thought of having no masters and no one to tell them what and what not to do. They became violent, lashing out at anyone they did not like. When those of the Colony were disturbed by this, they confronted the merciless dragons. Outnumbered, the brutal ones sneered and left for the Lake, as Laurel had. I would advise you to stay away from there. Some rogue dragons have been known to kill and eat other dragons in a kind of victorious feast."

Theo shuddered, wanting to change the subject. She asked, "So the Colony is your group?"

Clyde tilted his head in an unsure kind of way. "Yes..." he replied. "I am an ally to the Colony. The Colony is the largest tie of dragons and I'm associated with many of them. While they generally believe that no dragon has authority over another, they take on the duty of watching over hatchlings and frisks, making sure that they are kept safe. That often includes guiding them away from the Lake."

"What are frisks?"

"A dragon, unless formerly a human, starts out as an egg," Clyde began. "Then, when they hatch, they are sensibly known as hatchlings. Hatchlings have the instinct to climb trees for safety from many of their predators. They stay in their high places until they grow into frisks. We know them as frisks because they are extremely energetic, exploring their abilities and the environment around them. By the time they are accustomed to themselves, their interest is piqued, usually by one adult dragon in particular. This is their pupil stage, in which they will find a dragon willing to mentor them, focusing on hunts for big game, flying, and also more mental skills. It is often at this time that the young dragon learns how to speak. After their year of being a pupil, they become a striker. Strikers are often proud and easily offended. The time for a striker to mature into an adult varies, usually taking about one to two years. Should it take much longer than that, strikers have been known to 'leave for the Lake' to join the rogues."

"What am I?" Theo asked suddenly and Clyde looked her over.

"I suppose you are a mix," he said. "Judging by your size, I would assume you were of striker age, but you still know very little of your athletic abilities, yet you ask questions like those of a pupil."

Theo looked down at her feet as they walked on. I'm a complete mess, she thought, discouraged. She was quiet the rest of the way and Clyde respected that, falling silent as well.

At last, they reached their destination- a clearing of grass and dirt with large rocks strewn all around. This place, Clyde called the Camp.

Theo was immediately shy. At least a dozen dragons of all different colors were there, settling on rocks, scuffing the dirt, and murmuring in conversation like humans. It was weird for Theo, seeing all those reptiles laying around and talking.

If Clyde sensed her sudden insecurity, he completely ignored it.

"Look here, Jacinth!" he called to a nearby dragon and brought Theo close. The dragon was deep red.

"Hello, Clyde," she greeted him. "Decided to come in for a visit?"

"Yes, well, I thought my friend here could do with some introductions," Clyde said.

Jacinth looked at Theo contemplatively. "I have heard of a new comer," she said. "You may call me Jacinth."

Theo ducked her head. "I'm Theora," she replied, choosing not to introduce herself as a princess, as she remembered what Clyde had said.

"Ah, Theora," Jacinth echoed. "What is that in reference to?"

"Um..." Theo did not know how to respond. Thankfully, Clyde came in with an answer.

"The name Theora was given to her by her family, as is custom to humans," he informed Jacinth.

"Ah, so you're a Cragerian?" Jacinth concluded. "Very few chose to keep their original names."

Once again, Clyde helped Theo out. "No, in fact, Theora is a Wystilian! I do not think she has yet been told of our naming customs..." Clyde turned to Theo inquiringly.

Theo shook her head.

"Dragons name themselves," Clyde explained to her. "It plays into the dragons' belief that we are all equal and have no authority over each other."

"Oh," Theo was surprised. This was not at all what she was accustomed to.

"I chose myself a human name, as did a few other Cragerians," Clyde went on. "But most of the later generations have taken a liking to nature references, like Jacinth here."

Jacinth smiled. "Except they usually need some help thinking of them. Clyde happens to be quite good at suggesting names for the little ones." She laughed. "He's actually somewhat of a legend!"

"Oh," Theo said again. She didn't know what else to say.

Theo's failure to keep the conversation going led to an awkward moment of silence. Theo noticed dragons nearby looking in their direction. She felt their eyes fall on her, yet the dragons also seemed interested in Clyde, leaning over to whisper to each other. Theo thought she heard one of them call him the Namebearer.

Clyde began to shift uneasily, repeatedly looking towards the woods. Jacinth seemed to pick up on this, for she took action.

"Here," Jacinth spoke up to Theo. "Why don't I show you around?"

"Great idea," Clyde put in quickly. "I'll be going...maybe see you later."

"Clyde!" Theo was alarmed at the thought of him leaving her.

"Oh, do come on Theo," Jacinth willed, and she gave in reluctantly.

Clyde said goodbye. Not long after he had disappeared into the forest, Theo could hear his singing start up again.

"Why did he-" Theo started, but was cut off.

"He's not one to stick around Camp," Jacinth answered, pulling her off to the side.

"Really?" she asked. Then why did he bring me here?

"Clyde was trying to do you a favor," Jacinth said, as though reading Theo's mind. "He himself prefers to be on his own most of the time."

He seems the social type to me, Theo thought.

Jacinth had them standing far off to the edge of Camp, mostly hidden by a tight clump of evil looking plants that twisted and tangled in a heap. Little, slender dragons wove in and out of the thicket, easily steering around the thorns that stood in their way. Theo watched them as they went.

"You may want to consider giving yourself a new name," Jacinth told her.

"Why?" Theo asked.

"Well, for one thing," Jacinth explained, "you're a dragon now. Why not fit into our customs? Secondly, if you choose to stick with Theora, you'll have to explain yourself repeatedly to each and every dragon."

"You don't understand," Theo conveyed. "I can't stay a dragon! I am a Princess. I have responsibilities."

"A princess?" Jacinth questioned.

Clyde wasn't lying, Theo realized.

"Yes, I am the daughter of the king," Theo reworded for her. "And the king is the ruler of thousands."

"I see," Jacinth replied. "You must be important to the humans, then."

"Very," Theo breathed, glad that Jacinth understood. "So it's important that I get back to them."

"How?" Jacinth asked. "I am familiar with humans turning into dragons, but not the other way around. Does the Wizard have a solution?"

"Apparently he's working on one," Theo buried her head in the ground. "I can't believe all this is because of a fruit! What does a firesap fruit even look like?"

"You're right next to them," Jacinth said, nodding to the plants in front of them. "These are the only firesap plants we know about, but we think there used to be many, many more. What have you heard about their fruit?"

"They heal dragons," Theo sighed, trying to see as far into the tangled plants as she could. "And unfortunately by experience I know what they do to humans." She spotted a firesap fruit deep within, hanging like a bell from its branch.

Its skin was orange, marked with scars and splotches of other colors like yellow, red, green, brown...About the size of a chicken's egg, it started at the top as one point and ended in three. Theo guessed that the grooves running down it made the fruit easily divided into sections.

"Yes, but it doesn't just turn humans into dragons," Jacinth told her.

That caught Theo's interest. "You mean it turns animals into dragons, too?"

"Well, we call them monigons instead of dragons, but yes." Jacinth nodded.

Theo took a moment to think. That monigon she'd seen on the rooftops back at the castle was the perfect image of a reptilian cat. Narrow body, flicking tail, slanted eyes, daintily placed claws. It had the frame and behavior of a cat, but with reptilian modifications and additions.

"It makes sense now!" she breathed. All those different types of dragons, or monigons, she'd seen in her days- how greatly they varied in size and shape. She could see what each monigon used to be. Wyverns, with two wings and two legs, resembled birds. The pack of monigons the royal family used for hunting resembled hounds, built for speed and gifted with the sense for tracking.

The only thing that confused her was how different her dragon body was from her human body...Now, instead of balancing on two legs, she was forced to walk on all four. And though humans lacked wings and a tail, she now possessed them both.

Another question developed in Theo's mind. "How are there so many monigons? Wouldn't they only be found in this area where the firesap plants are? Are you sure there aren't other firesap plants elsewhere?"

Jacinth shook her head, amused. "I'm quite confident that these are the only firesap plants. As I said, I have reason to believe that there used to be many more of these plants before. My guess is that there was a period of time when animals of all kinds gradually came to eat of the fruit and reaped the consequences. Then, those monigons reproduced and-"

"So they can reproduce?" Theo interrupted.

"Oh, yes. Dragons and monigons are very well developed."

"I don't understand...Why would a dog or a cat, or any animal that eats mostly meat want the firesap fruit?"

"The firesap plant is very tricky, as I'm sure you've gathered. I suppose it has its ways of making its fruit appealing to an unlikely crowd."

Theo imagined all types of animals coming to eat of the firesap fruit. The thought of a bear monigon frightened her. What would that look like? Perhaps a huge, bulking mass like the beast in that one myth I've heard- a monster full of claws with flames blasting from its mouth...Wait...Breathing fire!

"Do dragons breathe fire?" she asked.

Jacinth smiled mischievously, then answered her by sprinkling the ground with sparks. Theo wanted to try picking them up, but all she could do was scratch at them.

"Want to see real fire?" Jacinth appealed to her, having Theo turn her head to the clearing. Jacinth breathed in and came out with flames that reached incredible lengths ahead of her. Blades of grass were singed as the hot, yellow light licked past them. Other dragons watched with obvious admiration. It was one of the most amazing things Theo had ever seen.

"Can I breathe fire?" Theo asked quietly, not wanting to look like an idiot by trying without knowing first.

"You could," Jacinth answered pleasantly. "The last impressive thing I know about the firesap plant is what it got its name from. See that knot of amber there?"

Theo nodded. The branch which it clung to looked dry and cracked. Fresh sap oozed from the cracks onto the older, harder sap below.

"That sap, one lick and you'll be breathing fire until the end of your life! I don't know who figured that out, but I ought to thank him...or her, whichever it was." Jacinth smiled.

Theo walked around the clump of plants, spotting multiple lumps of amber. One mound was so large it reached the ground and was the shape of a miniature mountain.

"Amazing," Theo awed. "What happens when monigons lick it?"

Jacinth shifted uncomfortably. "Any monigon that licks or eats the firesap dies within a few days, sometimes less than that. It doesn't happen very often, and we try to keep it that way by making sure there's always an adult at Camp to keep watch."

"What about a human? What would happen to them?" Theo pursued, eyeing the firesap with endless attraction.

"Probably the same thing," Jacinth guessed. "I don't think a human's ever been quite that foolish."

Theo looked back at Jacinth, wondering if there was an insult hidden in that last comment. She decided it didn't matter anyway.

Just then, a group of dragons around Theo's age intruded, curious and bright eyed. Theo pulled back ever so slightly, feeling her personal space was being invaded.

"Who are you?" one of the younger dragons asked, peering at Theo. Something about her reminded Theo of a nosey kitten.

Before Theo could think of what to answer, the dragons bombarded her with more questions.

"Are you a rogue dragon?" a greenish-grey male asked her. "Or are you a rogue dragon that wants to be a part of the Colony? Or does that ever even happen?"

"Did you wander far away as a hatchling and just now return?" another asked.

"Surely you're too young to be a Cragerian?" a beige dragon insisted.

"My name is..." Theo started, pausing to think, and the group fell silent. I better give them a different name, she decided. Otherwise I'll never hear the end of their questions. Quickly, she selected a word that she had always liked the sound of. "River."

Immediately, the dragons let their other questions go unanswered, releasing upon Theo a new flood of comments.

"Oh, what a pretty name!" the beige one approved.

"Yes, good choice!" another agreed.

"I'm quite sure I'd considered that one for myself..." yet another spoke her mind.

Jacinth laughed, interrupting their endless chatter.

"Have mercy, you four!" she chaffed and Theo took note to thank her later, when she had the chance. "At least introduce yourselves before you scare her away."

"My name is Larke," the beige dragon said with a smile.

"Lichen!" the greenish-grey male declared.

Pika was the third to introduce herself. Her scales were a dusty brown.

The last was patterned black, white, and yellow. She presented her name to be Oriole.

Theo looked at them all. Their colors match whatever their names refer to, Theo observed, deciding it couldn't possibly be a coincidence. They tried too hard, she judged.

Before the group's prattling could start up again, Jacinth said she ought to show River around to the others. The four agreed enthusiastically, and Jacinth had to send them away before they'd actually leave them alone. Theo exhaled in deep relief as she and Jacinth left them behind.

"Sorry," Jacinth apologized. "Most of us aren't that obnoxious, I promise. Why don't I introduce you to some of the males? They aren't so excitable."

"If you say so." Theo prayed to Heaven that she was right.

Jacinth didn't lie. She walked along giving Theo each male's name, barely having to pause.

"This is Shale," she said, stopping by a charcoal grey dragon. The dragon nodded to Theo in bored acknowledgement.

"Jackdaw...Waxwing...Auk..." They gave such little response that Theo gave up on greeting them vocally, which she didn't mind at all.

"...and this is Cedar," Jacinth finished, stopping by a raw umber colored dragon, having moved half across Camp. "I think that's enough for today, would you agree?"

Theo nodded gratefully. I've already forgotten their names, anyway...

The two of them chose a spot of their own to settle. Theo took a liking to a shaded grass area while Jacinth lay on a rock not far away.

She noticed a couple of dragons nearby. One of them, a dark brown one, was badgering the other. "Jay, what's with you?" he said. "You're barely even listening to me! Who is that you're too busy staring off at?" Theo blinked as she realized both of them were looking at her.

"Oh, I see," the male growled. "You'd rather be talking to her, is that it? Fine. Go and see if she'll even turn her ear to you." He stalked away, leaving his sandstone colored friend alone.

Theo tried to look away, but she could sense his smitten gaze set on her. Uncomfortably, she attempted to distract herself, experimentally opening and closing her wings until she realized he was standing in front of her. She collapsed her wings against her side, unnerved.

"Hello," she said hesitantly. "Is there something wrong?"

The male started and shifted his weight self-consciously. "Oh, um..." his voice wavered. "I just don't rec-recognize you. What's your n-name?"

"River."

"Oh, th-that's nice...I'm Jay. My friend behind me is Badger..." Awkwardly, he looked back, only to realize that his friend had left him a while ago. "Never mind," he mumbled.

"Ho, there!" a loud voice called out and another male leapt to Jay's side. Immediately, Jay took on a defeated look, staring at the ground.

The newcomer greeted Jay and then turned to Theo with a charismatic smile. Theo became even more uncomfortable.

"What is it we have here?" he asked, looking her up and down approvingly. He kept his wings slightly open so that they caught the sun, casting brilliant colors on the ground within his shadow like a stained glass window.

"Um..." Theo began, but just then Jacinth intervened.

"Greetings to you, Cobalt," Jacinth said rather distastefully.

"Jacinth!" Cobalt responded, his smile broadening with endless charm. "Won't you introduce me to your friend?"

"No, I think you have enough females at your heels," Jacinth replied scornfully. To Theo, she said, "Do come, River."

Theo followed without protest, more than happy to evade the others just as it was beginning to get dark.
Chapter 4

In the morning, Theo awoke to find Oriole staring at her.

"You slept through the whole night! I didn't even know that was possible!" Oriole exclaimed. "What're you going to do next, stay awake the whole day? That'd be daft..."

"I-" Theo gave her a strange look. "I don't understand what's so weird about it."

"You don't understand what's so weird about it!" Oriole repeated after her, laughing and rolling her head comically. "What're you, a bird?!"

Theo shook her head at the dragon, utterly perplexed. Apparently dragons don't have the same sleep cycle that I'm used to, she guessed.

Just then, Adder came into Camp.

"If you don't mind, Oriole," he said, "I'd like to have a word with..." He trailed off, unsure of what to call Theo.

"River," Theo helped him.

"Yes, River," Adder repeated after her, looking at Oriole expectantly.

She grinned at him rather stupidly for a moment before replying, "Alright."

Yeah, go find someone else to bother, Theo thought.

Oriole turned and looked around, still smiling broadly, then wandered off.

Theo anxiously waited for Adder to speak as he brought her to the edge of the clearing.

"Wycker has been spying on Wystil and he's gathered much information," he told her quietly.

"Yes?" Theo prompted.

"Chadwick had a skilled tracker known as Tyrone examine your tracks. Do you know him?"

"Yes," Theo affirmed, her heart quickening. "What did he say?"

"He saw your tracks that led into the water. He wasn't sure about Damon's tracks. He concluded that it must have been someone who came to the site after everyone was gone and then went after your horse-"

"Damon took my horse?" Theo asked, but Adder did not answer.

"He also identified the tracks of three different dragons," Adder continued. "He took note of how there was a struggle between them, and how they too led to the water and disappeared."

"What happened to my horse?" Theo pressed.

"Damon caught her and brought her somewhere. Where exactly, I'm not sure."

"Oh," Theo responded, disappointed. I'll have to ask him myself. "What did Chadwick say to all this?"

"He raged with the idea that you'd been taken by dragons. He was, after all, first informed of your troubles by a panicked servant who talked about a large dragon seizing you from the waters.

"Tyrone pointed out that there would be evidence, had you been fed on, so Chadwick is convinced that you've been taken alive. Wycker even heard a person call you the...Dragon Slave."

Realization hit Theo. "Dragon Slave, of course!" she recalled. "It's a children's story about a girl who's snatched by a dragon and forced to work as its slave!"

"Tyrone told Chadwick the only dragon of remarkable size that he's heard of is the Maelstrom, or as he said, Zeus." Adder added grimly, "Dragon fighting training has begun."

"They're going to attack Zeus?!" Theo awed in horror. "They'll all die!"

"Of that, I am not so sure," Adder interjected. "They have the numbers, and they could have the skill..."

They think Zeus took me...Theo was dazed, numb with fear as she imagined her brother and his army trampled and feasted on, in her name. "We have to stop my brother," she said.

Adder shook his head. "Chadwick would surely declare war on us. For now, I don't see what we can do but wait and see."

"My brother cannot declare war on anyone," Theo said, confused. "Only the king can do that."

Adder gazed at her with an expression she feared to be sympathy. "That was the other thing I had to tell you," he led. "I'm very sorry, but..."

"What?" Theo urged him, suspense weighing down on her.

"...your father fell terribly ill two days ago and just died this morning."

"It- It can't be!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry."

Theo staggered on all four legs. "And so they've made my brother King?" she asked, her mouth dry.

"Chadwick's coronation took place immediately after your father's death so that Wystil would not go on without a king. Only his celebration has been put off."

Theo shook her head, unable to take everything in. All was so unexpected. She didn't even notice when Adder left. She just stood there, staring at nothing as her mind throbbed with thoughts.
Chapter 5

Weeks passed as Theo began adjusting to her new life. It still saddened her that she was not there when her father had passed, but she had finally accepted it. Some days went by in which all Theo did was watch dragons fish from the creek. Where earth halted abruptly in a sheer rock face, the creek ran off the edge, descending in a beautifully elegant waterfall.

It was at this fall that the dragons gathered to fish. Attentively, they perched at the stone rim, taking turns to swoop, darting through the plummeting water to snap at the fish that fell with it. Some made it a competition, seeing who could catch the most in one try.

For Theo, it was amazing to see, though she kept her distance from the brink of land. One dragon, she noticed, was especially skilled at the art. With exquisite wings of blue and white, the grown female made it look easy, veering off at the last moment so as to not collide with the cliffs, yet managing each time to whisk a couple fish from the water.

Theo also saw Cobalt joining in. He wasn't nearly as good as the blue and white dragon, but he tried to give the impression that he was. He spent a long time showing off his wings to a tight group of eager females before actually building up the courage to give fishing a try. He proved to be very poor at it, and every time he missed, he immediately gave a loud excuse to his enthusiasts- "The sun was in my eye!" and "I decided to let that one go." Theo laughed inside at his desperation, but his followers were sympathetic, cheering him on after each failed attempt.

Jay was there, too. His flying was nothing to goggle at, but his fishing technique was most efficient. Theo watched in great curiosity as he took a side approach, snagging multiple fish in his claws and mouth until he could carry no more. How sweet, she thought when he generously presented other dragons his catch. They must be too young to fish for themselves.

His friend, Badger, responded joyously whenever Jay unloaded five or so flopping fish at his feet. He certainly looked old enough to fly, perhaps even older than Jay, but Theo supposed his bulky form made it difficult for him. Watching Jay be so generous warmed Theo and she kept an attentive eye out for him.

When she herself got hungry, she wandered to the creek, feet planted to the ground, and stared down at the flashing movement of fish as they headed for the falls. This looks hard, she thought, trying to imagine swiping one of them up and out of the water.

"Um...River?"

Theo turned to see Jay hovering just above ground as he dropped four glistening, pink scaled bodies before her. Relieved of his burden, he landed lightly behind them, looking at her shyly. "I caught these but- I don't really need them so I was wondering if maybe you would like to have them, maybe- that is if you even like fish- do you?"

"Jay!" Theo exclaimed, and he flinched. "Thank you! You're so kind!"

Jay smiled slightly. "I just thought you might want them," he repeated.

"I do!" Theo assured him. "Thank you again."

He ducked his head, mumbled "You're welcome," and slipped away to Badger who grinned at him knowingly.

Theo cocked her head at the pile of fish before her. Whole, raw fish...she observed skeptically. It's worth a try. She ate one, then quickly gulped down the others, finding that they slid nicely down her throat without her even having to chew.

It became a new favorite of hers. Ambitiously, she tried splashing in the creek in attempt to catch another bite, but immediately stopped so as not to embarrass herself.

Theo lay down as she continued to watch the Colonists display their talents at the ocean cliffs. Eventually, her mind wandered off to Damon and whether or not he was ever going to find a cure for her. Wouldn't he have found one by now? Or maybe he's not even trying.

She had realized, however, that seeing Damon and being human again were no longer her first thoughts when she woke.

. . .

One afternoon, Theo found a couple of small things on the ground. What are these? she wondered, taking a closer look at them. She realized that they were scales from her own hide. Examining herself, she saw that many of the scales attached to her were paler in color.

Hmm...she thought. That's strange.

Suddenly, a small fleet of frisks came tearing around her, chasing each other. She smiled as one frisk tackled another, nipping like an overly playful puppy. One light yellow one shook a frisk off its back, interest focused in on Theo. Theo looked into its innocent eyes, stunned to be able to see the child within. How can a dragon have so much personality? she pondered as she watched the little dragons go, the yellow one tripping over its feet to catch up.

Theo asked herself what she wanted to do today. It amazed her how often a simple nap appealed to her. But she had just gotten up from one, so she refused to let herself go back to sleep so soon. Am I hungry? She found that hunger came to her rarely. One meal could last her for a long time.

How do dragons entertain themselves? That was a question Theo still had to find the answer to. All she'd seen them do was nap, talk, and hunt. Surely that can't be all they do...

She decided to go explore, see what the people of Wystil had strived to see for so long. She carved her way around a forested area, preferring not to have to weave between the autumn colored trees. Passing through many meadows, Theo saw a stretch of boulders where pikas dwelled, squeaking periodically.

She came across a wide field of blue flowers, taking a moment to soak in all its beauty. She'd never yet heard a dragon mention the beauty of anything and it took a toll on her. It was hard to be the only one to appreciate the charm of one's surroundings.

Tiny wyverns clung sideways to the stalks of the flowers, chirping. Theo looked at them closer. What kind of bird did you used to be? she wondered. They stared right back with beady eyes.

She walked alongside the field, not wanting to trample a single flower. Hitting trees again, Theo was amused to see a bramble monigon laying in her path. It was a round reptile, covered in scales that rose towards the end into spikes. These prickly monigons were well known by the humans as things to avoid stepping on, so everyone kept their eyes to the ground to watch out for them as they snuffled the leaf decay for grubs.

Theo made sure to step over the bramble monigon, not for her sake but for its own. In her dragon body, spikes and thorns weren't a problem.

This time, Theo did not avoid the woods but cut right through them. Usually, she'd just barely feel the twigs scraping past her, yet this time felt strangely different. The light filtering through the leaves was dim. She looked at the woodland dust twirling through the shafts of light that danced and changed as the breeze came.

Not long was it when the trees parted to another clearing. The white overcast was bright to her eyes. It reached vastly outward and Theo realized she had reached the coast farther up from the falls. She stayed away, apprehensive of the cliffs, of the sudden drop of ground into sea.

Theo looked back at where she'd come from and was surprised to see a trail of shed scales behind her. It horrified her to see that most of her scales now hung onto her side like dead leaves, faded of color. She shook herself, sending an array of scales flying in all directions.

What terrible illness has come over me?! she panicked. I have to find Jacinth!

She hurried back the way she came, following a map she'd formed in her head. Bounding across the land, she was very fast.

She burst into Camp, spotting Jacinth conversing with a group.

"Jacinth!" Theo gasped. "What's happening to me?!"

The dragons looked up at her. Some, Theo noted, looked disgusted while others viewed her in pure sympathy. Jacinth rose silently, a grim expression on her face. "Follow me," she hushed, passing Theo.

When they found an isolated place, Jacinth turned to face Theo. "You're molting," she said flatly.

"Molting? Are you sure? I haven't seen anyone else molting here!"

"I know," Jacinth calmed her. "But that's only because we tend to...hide when we do."

Theo winced as realization dawned on her. "Because it's embarrassing," she connected.

Jacinth nodded sympathetically.

Theo felt humiliated.

How many dragons saw me? Dozens?

"Sorry," Jacinth pitied.

Theo shook her head. "No, thank you for telling me." Slowly she left.

As soon as she was out of sight, Theo began running. Since when do dragons care what they look like? Bitter thoughts pumped through her head with every beat of her heart. That was the worst humiliation I've ever experienced.

She ran for what felt like an eternity, venturing farther than she had ever gone before. Eventually, she found a swamp at her feet. I'm not stepping in that, she thought looking at the mucky water, but then-

"Shut up and listen to me!"

Theo held her breath as she heard a female voice come from beyond the swamp. Curiosity winning over her, she stealthily slipped into the water until only her nostrils, eyes, and wings were not submerged. She glided closer to where she thought the voice had come from, ever so gently pushing herself along with light toes.

"We have to attack the Highlanders when they least expect it. It'll be easy- we're the Strong Pack."

To Theo, it sounded like the stranger was but a dozen or so strides away.

Thick trees matted with moss stuck out from the green water that swirled around Theo's legs. Small monigons with frilly decorations and webbed feet stared up at her, flicking their tails to dart underwater when she got too close. Gnats congregated in thick swarms, hanging in the air like black clouds. Theo curled her lip back in disgust as she felt the mud below sucking at her feet.

When she came to a tree so wide she could hide behind it, she stopped. Looking past its trunk, through lichen burdened roots that leaped out of the water in wild arches, she saw a reasonably sized island. It was topped with shreds of tree bark and pine needles, looking like the driest spot of all the swamp. On top of it crouched a lean, sallow dragon with bony features, who kept her head low in a sinister way. Three other dragons were so muted and earthy in color that Theo didn't see them until they moved.

"But Quiver, it's only a matter of time before the Highlanders attack the Lakesiders," said a dragon of pupil age who stood in a shallow water bed. "If we wait, we can take both their lands after killing the conquerors." His scales were a greyish oak brown and, despite his youth, he looked exceedingly intelligent with a spark in his eye.

"We don't have to wait," a big, dull shaded male rumbled. "We can beat both packs, one after the other."

"No doubt we are capable, Hasten," the young one agreed, "but with patience we can achieve all that we want with less effort."

Beside Hasten, the fourth dragon, a mahogany female, grunted in approval.

Quiver frowned irritably. "Veer," she said to the female. "How can you agree with Chasm? He's just a pupil!"

Veer did not respond.

Then Chasm said something in a cool voice. Theo didn't catch it, but next thing she knew Quiver sprang to her feet and lunged for him. He pulled back just in time, eyes widened in surprise as her teeth flashed inches away from him.

Hasten and Veer leapt up in response to Quiver's sudden assault, watching the female scrabble and snap at Chasm as he continued to back away.

"Quiver!" A grey female arrived on the scene, vaulting forth at gathering speed to collide with the offender.

Quiver was knocked back, sending loose bark flying as she dug her claws into the ground to stabilize herself. She swayed a moment, eyes rolling, then focused her sight on the newcomer. "That's right, Wolfe," she sneered. "Protect your precious, little pupil. I'm surprised he's even made it this far with that sharp tongue of his."

"You come near him again," Wolfe snarled, standing guardedly in front of Chasm as he recollected himself, "and I'll tear out your insides."

"You forget how grateful you used to be, you know," Quiver complained mockingly. "Remember how you ran to us, begging us to keep you safe from the Golden Dragon's guard dogs? Where's that gratitude now, Wolfe?"

"I don't need you anymore," Wolfe replied, strong stance erect. "Now it's Chasm that needs me."

"Chasm...He's not safe here!" Quiver spat. "The time will come when you're not there to save him, after he's made enemies with all the wrong dragons. It probably won't even be me, but someone's going to learn to hate him and you'll be too late."

"I'll worry about that," Wolfe growled in response and turned to face another direction. Chasm followed behind her as she began walking away.

"Where are you running to?" Quiver jeered, but Wolfe didn't answer.

She and Chasm waded their way on by Theo and she tried her best not to move. But as they went, Chasm turned his head and looked directly at her.

Her eyes dilated and she was stricken stiff, terrified of what the rogues might do to her if the pupil called her out. But he didn't. He just snorted, amused, and moved on, keeping a steady strut behind his mentor until they were out of view.

"How dare he call me a monigon," Quiver muttered and lay back down in the mud where Hasten and Veer had already resettled themselves.

This is my chance to leave, Theo realized and she slunk back out of the swamp, far away from the rogues.

Reminded of where she had once hidden when she sought isolation, she searched for the large slab of rock with the dugout underneath. She thought over what she'd just witnessed as she crawled under the jutting boulder.

So it's true that rogues are quick to lash out, she gathered, picturing Quiver attacking Chasm.

Chasm...He didn't call me out. She saw his face again, the moment he spotted her. Still...I don't trust him.

A familiar musical sound made her draw further beneath the rock as she recognized the voice.

Clyde! she fretted. Don't find me here like this.

After a few moments, his song faded away to Theo's relief.

I hope this whole molting nightmare ends soon. She sighed.
Chapter 6

Theo was walking along the creek, picking her way over the undergrowth of the forest. Some of the trees had circles of brilliant colors at their roots- their fallen leaves.

They look like me when I was molting, she thought, somewhat amused. She had gotten over her embarrassment a while ago, reminding herself that, after some time, she'd be the only one to remember her humiliation. She felt rewarded anyway, for her new slate grey scales were beautiful.

The early morning was foggy and she could see well for about ten feet around her. Everything beyond that was clouded by a misty white.

For all I know, a deer could be right on the other side of the creek, she thought, gazing around. Life is more exciting in the fog.

She noticed a flock of brightly colored birds following overhead. They flitted from branch to branch as she went, each about the size of a sparrow. All of them were the fiery colors of red, yellow, and orange, which blended in with the leaves. A number of them, she observed, had blazing blue throats. She stopped to watch as the blue throated ones began to swoop.

They dove down, closer and closer to Theo's head as the other birds waited in the trees, shrilling enthusiastically as though cheering. Theo yawped as the pesky birds drove their beaks for her eyes.

She tried charging a ways ahead, and yet they followed, speeding like arrows. Theo tried to screech at them but it only made the audience above chatter even louder.

Flames lit the sky, engulfing the birds, and Theo snapped her head to the side to see that it was a dragon blasting fire from his mouth. He was a dark marine green, just about the same size as her. Theo stared in amazement as the waiting birds descended from the canopy, headlong into the flames. They whirled within, their feathers turning grey.

Soon after the flames appeared, they cleared. Theo watched the birds scatter in flight, their bodies ashen grey, all except for the blue throats of the few.

"You didn't have to do that..." Theo said, amazed that the birds were still well alive.

"It's what they wanted." The dragon smirked. "They are phoenixes, after all."

"Real phoenixes?" Theo was astonished. Like many other things, she had thought phoenixes only existed in fairy tales.

"Yeah," he replied. "They'll pester you until you breathe fire at them. Only then will they go away. How can you not know this already?" He faced her, amused.

Theo ducked her head. "I'm new?" she replied, not sure of what to say.

The dragon gave her a strange look. "You're 'new'? Why sound so uncertain? You're either new or you're not."

Theo shook her head in embarrassment. "I'm new," she repeated firmly.

Just then a squirrel-like monigon fell out of a tree onto the back of Theo's odd company.

"Bothersome mock dragon!" he cursed as he violently shook the creature off, swiping at it as it ran, chittering, into the brush.

Bothersome...mock dragon? Theo slightly withdrew herself.

"Anyway," he said, turning back to her as though nothing had happened, "so what do you mean by 'new'?"

Theo gave him a bored expression, not wanting to explain herself again. "Do I know you?" she asked him instead.

He took on a smug look. "My name's Lynx," he told her. "Now I realize you must be that dragon Oriole wouldn't stop jabbering on about. River, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Theo said. "Nice to meet you."

Lynx gave a sharp laugh. "Nice to meet me?" he repeated. "If you say so."

Theo didn't know how to respond, so she turned to continue following alongside the creek with the weird feeling that he was watching her. She halted, looking back at him. He was standing where she had left him, looking back at her with a strange smile on his face.

"Do you have some kind of problem?" she called disdainfully.

"You can bet I do!" he laughed sharply in response, then to her relief, went on his own way.

I never cease to be confused, thought Theo, walking onward and shaking her head. Elegantly, she padded over grass and soft dirt.

The water beside her was quick and agile, as she was. It leapt from rocks like a joyous, transparent animal and carried sticks downstream as a trail of ants might.

There were still a few fish that dashed below the surface, racing for the falls. Try not to get caught, she thought humorously, recalling the time she spent watching the dragons fish from the cliffs.

She noticed Jacinth across the creek, who crouched to drink.

"Hello, my friend," Theo called and Jacinth lifted her head.

"Theo." Jacinth smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"Quite well. And you?"

"Splendid." Jacinth stood, stretching her limbs, looking pleased. "I'm thinking it's about time I go for a little hunt. Care to join me?"

She hasn't mentioned what happened last time I saw her, Theo thought gratefully. Perhaps she forgot already. Theo doubted it, but it didn't seem to matter either way.

"I would be happy to," she accepted Jacinth's invitation. "Although...I've never hunted with anyone before. What is it like?"

Jacinth smirked, but not at all in an unkind way. "Oh, I'll show you," she assured her. "Now come over to this side of the creek. I know the best hunting grounds."

Theo did not hesitate before bounding across the water to where Jacinth waited. She cleared the distance in two almost effortless leaps.

"What are we hunting for?" she asked, taking her place beside Jacinth as they began walking.

"Deer," Jacinth answered. "I don't suppose you've hunted deer before, have you?"

"Um...no," Theo admitted. "I've only managed to catch squirrels, quail...Nothing as large as a deer."

"Yes, well that makes sense, considering you've never had a mentor to teach you," Jacinth replied. They cut across Camp and continued through an area in the woods where the trees were well spaced out.

As they came to a field, Jacinth gave Theo a look and they sunk low to the ground. Theo tried to imitate Jacinth, pulling her wings in tightly and making sure her tail didn't drag on the ground.

Much of the fog had cleared and the two dragons waited at the edge of the meadow, peering out with expectancy.

Just then, Theo spotted a deer far off in the distance. Her body grew tense and she wondered if Jacinth had seen it. She was about to speak up, but her companion uttered the slightest hiss and she swallowed her words.

She tried not to jump as she saw why Jacinth had hissed at her. Theo had not seen it at first, for a bush obscured her view, but there was another deer, no farther than a few yards away. Peacefully it grazed, ignorant of the danger it approached as it stepped even closer to the hidden dragons. Long blades of grass brushed past its legs.

Theo was eager to run after it, but she waited for Jacinth to make her move. It was daunting to see the deer come so close. Theo could smell its scent wafting towards her.

Still, Jacinth waited. Theo anxiously remembered the time a rabbit came too close to her- how she had lost control of herself and pounced on it in a flash. She supposed Jacinth was looking for the perfect moment.

At last, the doe positioned itself just right and Jacinth surged for it. The deer panicked as it found itself tackled to the ground. It kicked outwards, screaming and trying to get away, but Jacinth's claws were embedded in its flanks and she took its life with a bite of the neck.

Slowly, the doe's head touched the ground as its neck relaxed and it grunted feebly before slipping away. In that moment, Theo felt badly for it, but recognized it was just another part of life. Jacinth got up, looking quite satisfied.

"See how I waited until it was close enough for me to jump out and catch it?" she asked.

Theo nodded. "You made it look so easy."

"It's just impulse." Jacinth smiled, shaking her head. "Everyone has it. You just have to be patient, that's all."

"Do you mentor pupils very often?" Theo inquired, assuming her answer would be yes.

"Um...actually, no." Jacinth caught Theo by surprise. "No one has ever asked me to be their mentor before."

"What?!" How could a pupil not want a dragon as able as Jacinth to be their mentor? Theo was astounded. "Well, has the idea ever appealed to you?"

Crouching over the deer, Jacinth paused to think. "I suppose it would be nice to pass down all that I know...Watch the little one grow up and accept the firesap..."

Theo wondered if she sensed a hint of sadness in Jacinth's voice. Whatever it was, it was subtle.

The dark red dragon began tearing into the carcass. "Come and join me," she said. "Sorry you didn't get a chance to kill anything yourself, but this one was just begging me to take it down. It was definitely an easy catch."

"That's alright," Theo responded and bent her head to tear off some meat. "Just by watching I learned some things."

"Yeah, that usually works." Jacinth craned her head back to let a mouthful slide down her throat.

Together, they stripped the carcass down to the bones and innards. Never before had anything settled in Theo's stomach as satisfyingly as raw venison that day.
Chapter 7

The trees had lost their leaves, all except for the occasional dark, lanky pine that swayed in the chilling wind. The sky was clear but the air carried a constant, frosty feel to it, which the winter sun did little to warm.

"River, this is Sky," Lichen told Theo at Camp. Beside Lichen stood a light blue and white dragon that smiled at Theo. Easily taller than Theo, she had a graceful, long neck and tail to match. Her excellent pair of wings, she kept neatly folded against her body.

Suddenly, Theo remembered her.

"I saw you catching fish at the falls!" she exclaimed. "It's nice to meet you."

"And you," Sky replied in a friendly way.

Theo looked at the two young dragons that followed her. "You have two pupils?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, I accepted them both just the other day," Sky answered and then laughed. "But I once mentored four!"

"Really? All at once?" Theo shook her head, imagining the difficulty. "I could never handle that..."

"Could you mentor one?" Sky questioned Theo.

"Why?!" Theo was alarmed, thinking that Sky was offering her one of hers. Can she even do that? Theo worried.

Sky looked past Theo's shoulder. "Because someone looks interested in you," she revealed and Theo looked.

A light yellow dragon of pupil age stood behind her, gazing with curiosity. Theo turned around to face it. The dragon was very small, head tilted upward to see Theo with a patient but expectant look on her face.

"Yes..." Sky murmured, smiling next to Theo. "She's interested in you alright. Oh, look at her, how darling..."

Theo stood in place, scared stiff but without understanding why. The little dragon just waited with large eyes watching her.

"You take her!" Theo told Sky suddenly, turning away.

"What? River, she doesn't want me. She wants you."

"I can't take her."

Sky was quiet for a moment until she sighed, "Well, you don't have to..."

"Yeah," Lichen piped up, listening in on their conversation. "But it might be hard for you to shake her off."

"I have no other choice," Theo determined, stepping forward and crouching down to the young one's height. "You'll have to find someone else to be your mentor," Theo whispered. "I know just as little as you do about how to be a dragon." Theo couldn't think of anything else to say, and so she got up and turned back to her friends.

"It's not that easy!" Lichen laughed. "I know a dragon that once had to run from a potential pupil for weeks!"

Sky smiled, nodding. "They're persistent," she agreed, beaming down at her two pupils. "I just can't say no to them."

Theo checked behind her nervously. She was relieved to see the little, yellow dragon stumbling off to somewhere else.

"Hey, maybe that did work out for you," Lichen said, also seeing the young dragon on the go.

Sky purred in sympathy over it. "Look at how clumsy she is, poor dear."

"How long does a dragon mentor a pupil?" Theo asked.

"From the beginning of winter to the end of the next," Sky said. "That gives them five seasons to learn all that they can."

Over a year. Theo prayed silently that the yellow dragon would stay away and find someone else for a mentor. "How do other dragons shake off pupils wanting to be mentored?" she asked, wanting to have other tactics in mind.

Sky shifted uncomfortably. "Well, some run, some hide...and then there's the rogue dragons' way..."

Lichen lowered his head. "A lot of rogues don't want to mentor anyone," he grieved. "If a pupil doesn't go away at first warning, it can get ugly."

"You don't mean they...kill them, do you?!" Theo balked.

"Sometimes." Sky nodded grimly.

Theo was shocked by the wickedness of the rogues. They almost fit the description that the humans painted for all dragons in legends and myths.

Who could kill an innocent little creature like that? Theo mulled, watching the yellow dragon scrabble into a hollow tree trunk a ways away.

Then she saw Wolfe.

Wolfe! What is she doing here?!

"Sky! Lichen!" she whispered sharply. "That grey dragon over there, I've seen her before. Her name's Wolfe- she's a rogue!"

"What?" Lichen's head flashed towards Wolfe where she lay, looking harmless as ever, watching as Chasm playfully batted a young pupil to the ground.

Chasm's a striker now, Theo figured.

"How do you know she's a rogue?" Sky asked.

"Once, I ventured a little too far from Camp and overheard a pack of rogues talking," Theo explained herself. "She and that striker were there."

"Strange," Sky murmured.

"Strange?" Theo ridiculed her. "Sky, these dragons were talking about attacking other dragons! They're dangerous!"

Sky looked at her quizzically. "We're all dangerous," Sky pointed out. "Besides, if they want to be here, we shouldn't object."

"But what if they're here to attack us?" Lichen blurted out. He had jumped to his feet, prancing nervously in place. His nervousness brought a painful, fleeting picture of Nigh darting through Theo's head.

"Listen," Sky hushed him. "Calm down, you're attracting attention." She looked at Theo, her eyes narrowed in irritancy. "What were they saying specifically?"

Theo tried to remember. "They called themselves the Strong Pack and they wanted to attack some other group called the Highlanders. Then Chasm, that striker, was trying to convince one of the dragons that it would be better to wait for the Highlanders to strike the Lakesiders, or something. But the dragon got mad and went after Chasm so Wolfe intervened and left with Chasm. I guess she's his mentor, or used to be."

Lichen looked dizzy. "What?" he asked at a loss, but they ignored him.

"Well, it seems like they're not a part of that pack anymore," Sky concluded with satisfaction. "They are now Colonists."

"Really?! A couple of rogues can switch over just like that?"

"I suppose it's not very common, but it's perfectly acceptable."

Oh, Theo thought. That's going to be hard to get used to.
Chapter 8

Theo was basking at Camp one day when she noticed a young dragon scratching drawings into the ground. Theo stared, not sure if she was seeing things right. Never before had she seen a dragon interested in art.

Well, there's Clyde and his music- but he's different, Theo decided.

Nonetheless, here a female carved the sketch of a phoenix with one talon into the dirt.

"You have a skill!" Theo exclaimed. "It's beautiful!"

The striker looked up at her, confused. She was a soft, subtle teal and her face was easily read, very expressive.

"What?" she asked in a small voice.

"Your drawing." Theo nodded towards it. "It looks just like a phoenix."

The shy striker looked down at it again. "I suppose it does look like one..." she replied, unsure.

"Oh." Now Theo was confused. "Were you not thinking of a phoenix when you drew that?"

"No, I was..." she replied, cocking her head at the picture. "But...I didn't expect this to happen."

"What do you mean?"

"These marks," she answered. "They look exactly like a phoenix."

"...because you drew them that way..." Theo followed up, still not fully understanding why there was such an awkward miscommunication between the two of them. "I'm River," she said, hoping to clear the air.

"Egret," the striker returned introductions with a coy smile.

"Did you know you were an artist?" Theo tried cautiously.

"What is an artist?" Egret asked, puzzled.

"Never mind," Theo dismissed quickly. It's not worth the confusion. "Anyway, it was nice to meet you."

She inched closer to Sky and her pupils as everyone began raising their heads and buzzing in chatter.

"What is it?" she asked Sky.

"River," Sky lectured. "You really need to focus your hearing on what's going on around you."

"Well, tell me what is going on," Theo urged her, curiosity mounting.

Sky nodded in a direction and Theo followed her gaze. Across Camp, she saw a striker standing in the way of Wycker. Wycker rarely came through Camp, and when he did it was never to waste time basking or napping. The only times Theo had seen him visit Camp was when he came to talk to someone already there. He had just finished saying something to Adder and was starting to leave when the striker blocked his path.

"Dunnock is challenging Wycker to a test of strength," a female named Whinchat whispered to Theo eagerly. "Oh, he's in for it now!"

"What do you mean?" Theo pursued, but the others hushed her, captivated as Wycker took his stance.

"Wycker looks like he thinks it's a waste of time," she commented, seeing his irritable glare she was much too familiar with.

"He probably does," Whinchat replied, still watching. "But he has to accept or he would be seen as cowardly for backing out."

"What does a dragon fight look like?" Theo asked.

"Just watch!" Cedar hissed at her and she fell silent.

Wycker watched casually as his opponent flitted around him, looking for an opening. When Dunnock leaped forward, Wycker reared up to meet him. Their forelegs locked, and the striker struggled to keep his balance as he wrestled the elder dragon. Suddenly, Dunnock pulled out. Again, he darted back and forth, waiting for another time to attack. The two clashed a few more times and eventually the striker gave up. Spent, Dunnock dropped down to all fours and backed away. Wycker stared him down, making sure it was obvious that the striker was the one to submit, and then turned to go on his way.

Theo's companions relaxed after the tense excitement, except for one of Sky's pupils, who, inspired, growled and pounced on the other.

"Why did Dunnock challenge Wycker specifically?" Theo turned to Sky, who laughed as though it were a silly question.

"Wycker's a legendary wrestler," she said. "He proved that back when he was a striker, himself. No one could ever beat him. He still hasn't been beaten! That's why strikers like to dare each other to fight him. But those that actually pick up the courage to do it are always put to shame." Sky shook with laughter. "It's quite entertaining, really."

"Do females ever challenge him?" Theo inquired.

Whinchat was enthusiastic, nodding her head. "Oh yes! In fact, Jacinth held up a good fight with him for some time."

Theo looked to see if Jacinth heard them talking about her. Judging by her smile of amusement, she did.

"Are you good at wrestling matches?" Theo asked her.

Jacinth nodded sleepily. "I'm pretty good," she yawned.

Sky perked up. "You should give it a try, River," she told Theo. "Quick! Challenge Jacinth while she's still tired!"

"What?!" Theo balked. "I can't beat her!"

"You don't know that," Whinchat opposed, getting up and pushing Theo towards Jacinth with the crown of her head. "Come on. It's fun!"

Theo stood up nervously and Jacinth gave a sluggish smile.

"You want to give it a go, River?" Jacinth asked, lifting herself up off the ground and stretching her wings.

"No..." Theo moaned, staring up at her. Suddenly, Jacinth was looking very intimidating, all except for her face. Though her muscles rippled under smooth scales and her talons curved like those of an oversized eagle's, her smile was consistently friendly.

"Sky is right, River," Jacinth pointed out. "I am tired..." She yawned again, but Theo was suspicious that she had forced herself to. Now that she was up and awaiting a challenge, Jacinth looked perfectly awake.

Theo almost moaned involuntarily, remembering it was cowardly to back out of a fight. "Fine...but not here where so many dragons can watch."

Jacinth laughed and agreed. "I know a good place," she said and led the way.

Sky told her pupils to stay behind and they returned to their game of boxing and batting.

"Have some faith in yourself," Whinchat whispered close to Theo's ear. Theo was dismayed to see a number of dragons following her and Jacinth to observe.

Jacinth brought them over the creek and through some trees to a small grass clearing. Theo forced her stiffening legs to proceed to the middle of the circle, where Jacinth stood at the ready, waiting for her.

Sky, Whinchat, Egret, and Oriole gathered around. Even Cedar, the only male in the group, had come to see Theo and Jacinth's wrestling match. Theo blinked, aprehending her humiliation soon to come.

"I'll let you make the first move," Jacinth offered kindly.

Theo began gathering up her haunches, then gave up. "I have no idea what to do," she admitted.

"Just do what you saw Wycker and Dunnock do," Sky encouraged and Cedar snorted.

"Yeah, do it just like Dunnock," he said sarcastically. "See how that works out for you."

"Shut up," Whinchat voiced, ramming him in the side.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, shouldering her back. Theo sensed something going on between the two of them.

"River," Sky asked for Theo's attention. "All you have to do is support yourself up on your back legs," she demonstrated, boosting her upper body up off the ground. "And try to push Jacinth over with your forelegs."

Sky's presentation reminded Theo of a game she'd seen Chadwick and Tyrone play as kids once. They stood on a log, just above the water and tried to knock each other off without falling in themselves. Tyrone was always good at evading Chadwick's advances. She tried to envision what he did, wondering if she could copy his tactics.

Theo took a deep breath and reared back, alarmed to see Jacinth do the same. They fell heavily into each other, breaking apart and returning to all fours before they could lock forelegs. Theo gave a breathy laugh. How was it that Tyrone did it?

In unison, she and Jacinth again raised themselves. But this time, as Jacinth came in for her, Theo stepped backward and ducked out of the way, as she had seen Tyrone do. It was difficult to do as a dragon, but Theo used her tail to help balance herself.

She caught the surprise in Jacinth's eyes as the dragon found herself falling forward with nothing to break her descent. Theo used the advantage, coming down hard on top of her to make Jacinth's legs buckle out from under her. The bystanders gasped and Jacinth collapsed on her side, laughing.

"I have never seen someone do that before," she barked as though it were the funniest thing. "You're creative, River."

Sky and Whinchat cheered in agreement while Cedar stared, mouth agape.

"Thanks," Theo shied. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Oh please!" Jacinth leaped to her feet and added, "That was a good move, but I bet it wouldn't work on me a second time."

Theo grinned. "Yeah?" She exited the ring. "Well, I'll just take your word for it."

"I want to try that," Whinchat announced. "Cedar, fight me!" She turned, attacking him on short notice as he shouted in surprise. Egret simpered vaguely off to the side.

"Did you make that move up?" Oriole asked Theo.

"No," Theo confessed with a smile. "I stole it from someone."

She refused to tell who, even though Oriole pleaded and begged. "Trust me," Theo assured her. "You wouldn't know him."

"But I would know him!" Oriole insisted. "I know everyone!"

Theo shook her head, amused. Not every human, she thought. I don't understand how that one move impressed them so much. It was barely anything! Perhaps they just think too directly, or maybe they aren't as strategic as humans are.

Theo reflected on the comparison of humans and dragons for a while as the others wrestled some more.

I haven't been mourning over my old life lately, she realized. If Damon were to find a cure now, would I still want to go back?

She couldn't answer herself, and so she pushed the question out of mind where it could remain, untouched and forgotten.
Chapter 9

One winter day, the sky was fleeced over with yellowish-white clouds and rain was splattering everything.

It was on days like these that Theo used to sit inside the castle with Chadwick, toasting bread in the fire. Nimue was always quick to scold when Chadwick let his catch on fire, laughing uproariously, and Theo would jump back from it.

Amusing that fire used to be so dangerous to me, Theo thought. The lick of a flame against these scales could do little harm to me now.

The rain started to thicken into slush, and finally it crystallized into beautiful clusters of snow. As this came about, Theo noticed pupils gathering apprehensively with their mentors.

What's going on?

"The first snow of the season!" she heard a young dragon whisper to a friend. "It's time! Can you believe it?"

Everyone's eyes were turned on the firesap plants.

Small snowflakes drifted down like thousands of tiny, doves' feathers, melting on contact with the dragons. Light snow frosted the ground, blending everything into a scene of white.

One mentor stepped up and invited his pupil forward.

Blinking a snowflake out of his eye, the pupil moved willingly towards the firesap plants, stopping right before a mound of amber. Everyone watched as the pupil bent down to lick the firesap. His head shot up immediately afterward, eyes widened with surprise. He exhaled, marveling as sparks mixed with the snowflakes in front of his face like fireflies amongst pure white moths.

Another pupil approached and the first moved back to the outskirts of the camp, posture straight in perfection. More and more pupils came, including Sky's, and returned to the audience, expressions astonished at their new found strength.

"You should join them," Jacinth startled Theo. "Go on. Receive the Gift of Fire!"

"Accept the firesap? Me?" Theo inquired. "But I'm not a pupil."

"You don't have to be. Just so long as you're old enough, you're free to accept the firesap at any time."

Theo held her breath as she considered her choices. I'm a dragon now, she told herself. I should fit in.

"You know what," she decided suddenly. "I will."

"Then go," Jacinth breathed.

Theo swallowed, feeling each pair of eyes that swiveled on her as she walked forth.

"Wait for me, River," someone called out and Theo stopped to see Sky bounding to her side.

"You haven't accepted the firesap yet?" Theo asked, realizing she'd never seen Sky breathe fire before.

"No," Sky said, "but I'd like to do it with you now."

They halted before a clump of amber latched onto a branch, which bent outwards, only to penetrate back into the tangle of thorns. One liquid bead of firesap was on its seemingly still roll down the amber, glinting in the winter light. Theo looked to Sky, bowed her head, and licked it.

The breath was taken out of Theo. The feeling was stingingly painful, yet she liked it. It was invigorating, pain shooting down her throat, but with every pulse she felt more powerful.

Sky also bent and raised her head a moment later. Theo could see what she herself felt expressed in Sky's eyes.

They looked at each other joyfully.

I'm a dragon at the fullest now! Theo thought as the two of them walked back to meet Jacinth who puffed her chest out at them.

"Let's see it," she whispered to Theo.

Theo lifted her head to the flurried sky and blew softly. Beautiful flames unfolded from her mouth, creating a momentarily empty space between snowflakes. They cast a glow in Theo's eyes. It made her feel gifted.

Sky also experimented with her new talent. Touching her muzzle to the ground, she cleared the thin layer of snow away from the grass underneath, smiling in admiration.

"Look," said Jacinth. "This is unusual."

Theo saw a number of dragons her age and older step forward to accept the Gift of Fire as well.

"Fallow, Heather, Sandpiper, Fledge..." Jacinth counted off the dragons that followed after Theo. "Pintail, Lapwing, Turnstone...I've never seen this happen before. Usually those who refuse the firesap at striker age never end up accepting it at all."

"I wonder why," Theo pondered out loud. "But surely, the more firebreathers the merrier." She smiled along with her friends, watching as the ceremony came to an end.

. . .

Days later, Theo spotted Wycker enter Camp to say something to Adder. Adder nodded, and Wycker turned to depart, glaring at Theo as he always did when he passed her.

I'm not going to stand for his silent judgments anymore, thought Theo.

"Hey, Wycker!" she yelled. "Why don't you come over here and tell me what your problem is?"

Wycker stopped in his tracks, turning his head to look back at her through the corner of his eye.

"Well?" Theo snorted, more belligerent than she'd ever been in her life.

Lichen crept up to Theo. "Don't anger him," he implored. "He'll only get worse."

"I don't care," Theo grunted. "I'm sick of the way he looks at me."

"But-" Lichen started, but Theo cut him off.

"Come on, Wycker!" she called, dauntingly. "Face me. Why do you hate me so much?"

Wycker whisked around, stalking closer to her until his face was but a talon's width away from hers. Lichen cowered back, seeing that his begging was of no use now.

"Don't anger me," Wycker warned.

"I'm a dragon at the fullest now," Theo said haughtily. "Start respecting me like one."

Pure loathing pierced from his eyes, but Theo wasn't going to submit. Not this time.

"You are not, in fact, a dragon 'at the fullest'," Wycker contradicted her, just loud enough for her to hear. "Tell me you don't still think of home, your childhood, your first life. Tell me you've given it all up."

"Of course I have," Theo retorted, but she began to question the words even as they left her mouth.

He must have read the doubts within her eyes. "Sure you have," he retaliated and walked away.

He's wrong, she told herself. He doesn't know me. Theo slunk down, glowering at everyone as she noticed them staring. They should all mind their own business, she thought angrily. If they all just-

Cutting her thoughts short, she took a deep breath to cool her temper and left, knowing well that she was being watched as she went.

. . .

Theo thought a hunt sounded like a good way to help her forget her anger. She prowled around the best hunting places until she spotted a deer.

It pleased her greatly when she managed to catch it, breaking its neck as all dragons knew worked best. The deer was a triumph for her and she found that her interaction with Wycker was nothing more than a fading memory of the past.

The pink flesh of the carcass was a composition of flavors that slithered down her throat.

After her delightful meal, she walked along a small cliff, mostly hidden by bare trees and shrubbery. As she heard the sound of dragons crashing through the forest, she peered down.

She could hear Sky shouting encouragingly, and the voices of her excitable pupils answered. Flashing through the trees, Theo could see a reddish deer racing desperately onward, the three dragons gaining on it quickly.

Sky's two pupils were on either side of the animal by the time they dashed into Theo's full view, just below her. It looked like one was about to try taking down the deer when all of a sudden, everyone halted.

The deer was crumpled on the ground, but neither of Sky's pupils had killed it. Instead, it was Lynx, who had been hiding out between two boulders of the cliff, waiting.

"You-" the male pupil heaved, shock turning to anger. "You killed it! We were chasing it and then you killed it!"

Lynx smirked at the enraged young one, who bared his teeth with miniscule ferocity.

Sky's female pupil slumped, whining with disappointment.

"Come on," Sky exhaled, herding her pupils away. Theo saw her glare at Lynx as she passed, her eyes as cold and sharp as icicles.

How rude, Theo disapproved, watching as Lynx crouched down to feast on the deer, unashamed. How can he do that to the little ones?

She caught up to Sky on their way down a slope.

"Hey, I just saw what happened," Theo told her. "I can't believe that!"

"I know," Sky mumbled. "I really thought the pupils were going to catch their first deer today...Now, with all the noise we made, there's no way we'd find another deer within miles of here."

"Yeah, sorry," Theo sympathized with her. I should have saved some of my catch for her and her pupils.

Theo spent the rest of her day with them, talking to Sky.

"Who mentored you?" Theo asked her. "Surely whoever it was must've been great, considering what a good mentor you've turned out to be."

Sky laughed. "Actually, she wasn't. My mentor was very distant and unconcerned with me or anyone else."

"What?!" Theo was perplexed. "Then why did you choose her?"

Sky grinned. "Because she was the best flyer I've ever known," she answered. "I still remember the first day I saw her at the falls...No one could outfly her."

"Oh." Theo smiled. "So she's the one who taught you how to fly so well."

Sky tilted her head hesitantly. "Yeah, well...she didn't really teach. I mostly watched and hoped to learn."

"Then you must be a natural!" Theo exclaimed. "You're the best flyer I know. And the best mentor."

Sky smiled and ducked her head. "Thank you."

"So..." Theo searched for another topic. "Do you have a mate?"

"Yes." Sky perked up. "He's rather shy of others, but I love him all the same."

"That's sweet," Theo responded.

"Why don't you tell me more about yourself?" Sky prompted. "Who mentored you? You know, I don't recall ever seeing you as a pupil or a frisk...Where have you been all your life?"

Theo tried not to let her smile drop, but this was the conversation she had hoped to avoid.

Would Sky resent me if she knew about my past? Well, I can't lie to her. Theo grimly decided she'd have to tell the truth. At least Sky's pupils were dozing now, exhausted from the strenuous and unsuccessful hunt.

Hesitantly, she said, "I actually joined the Colony at striker age."

"Interesting," Sky commented.

Theo then proceeded to tell her all about her past. How she was a human treasured by the kingdom of Wystil...How she got caught in a flash flood one day and had to be saved by Damon with the firesap fruit...How everyone in Wystil was misled into believing that the dragons had taken her captive...

The whole time, Sky listened, an amazed look on her face. When Theo could think of nothing else to add, she quieted, waiting to hear how Sky would respond.

After a few moments of silence, Sky breathed, "Oh, River...Or should I say Theora?! I had no idea what a story you have behind you! It's simply...incredible!"

She's taking it well. Theo was relieved. "Yeah." She gazed up at the white winter sky. "It's been chaotic, to say the least."

Sky nodded, understanding. "I can't even imagine how difficult it must've been...or must be," she corrected herself. "What- what do you think the future holds for you?"

Theo looked back down at the frosty layer of brown leaves under her feet, shaking her head. "I try not to think too much about it, in all honesty," she admitted. "I'm just glad to have friends like you and Jacinth...It really does help."

"Of course!" Sky agreed. "Friends make just about everything better."

"I can't say that I disagree on that," Theo concurred, yawning. The venison from earlier that day was just now hitting her, making her tired. She looked at Sky's two pupils, who napped a few feet away from each other, looking like a couple of spent puppies.

"What are their names, anyway?" she asked, nodding in their direction.

"They haven't chosen any yet," Sky answered. "It's common for pupils to go without names for quite a while."

"Oh? What do you call them then?" Theo inquired.

Sky smiled. "You two...Hey, you...I don't know! But it's not too confusing."

"If you say so," Theo responded, shaking her head, amused.

I would never mentor a pupil.

The female of Sky's two pupils stirred, opening her precious, childish eyes.

"What is that sound?" she piped quietly, raising her head.

"What sound?" Sky asked. She and Theo quieted to listen.

At first, Theo heard nothing but the regular sounds of the night. Then, from the distance, a very distinct, familiar sound grew louder and she smiled. It was Clyde singing.

Sky looked elated. "Why not find out for yourself?" she encouraged. "Actually, go on and wake your friend," Sky tried to indicate the other pupil and Theo stifled a laugh, "-and you two can investigate together!"

The little one turned her head towards the second pupil and crawled to him, saying, "Wake up, wake up," in a gentle voice.

Drowsily, the male also awoke and the two disappeared into the woods, following the fluctuating, melodic tune that carried through the freezing night air.

Sky looked at Theo ecstatically. "Clyde's going to help them choose names right now!" she exclaimed. "Right when we were talking about it, too."

Theo stared after the two pupils. "Are you sure they'll be alright on their own?" she worried. "Shouldn't we follow them?"

"Nonsense," Sky shook her head. "Clyde makes it easy for anyone to find him- they'll be fine!"

. . .

Sky spoke the truth. When the pupils returned that morning, they proudly bore new names. The female presented herself as Plover, and the male declared himself to be Chestnut.
Chapter 10

A few days later, Theo entered Camp to join in on a conversation between Sky and another dragon. The young adult female was smiling bashfully and shaking her head as Sky pestered her.

"No?" Sky was saying. "Well then, what about Thyme? You know, I've noticed Thyme has a pretty nice jaw..."

"What are you talking about?" Theo asked, laughing.

"River!" Sky greeted her. "I was just asking Sage here, who she has her eyes set on. Have you met her yet?"

Theo introduced herself to Sage, who was a light purplish grey with soft eyes.

"So," Theo said, "please, don't let me interrupt. Do go on."

Sky grinned, turning back to Sage. "Well? What do you think? Not Thyme? How about Longspur? He has a beautiful wing span."

Sage buried her head in her foreclaws with embarrassment and Sky picked up on it.

"That's it, isn't it?!" she exclaimed. "Hmm...you and Longspur. I can see you two together."

"Sttoppp," Sage's muffled voice shivered with laughter. "I told you, I'm not interested in anyone."

"Ah, now you're just convincing me that I'm right." Sky nodded with satisfaction.

"What is it we're talking about?" Cobalt's signature voice piped up as he poked his head into the conversation.

The laugh died from Sage's lips. She stared pleadingly at Sky. Don't tell him, her eyes implored.

Sky caught her gaze with a reassuring grin. "I don't know what it is you were talking about," she replied offhandedly, "but our conversation is none of your concern."

"Aw..." He too grinned. "What do you have against me?"

"You turn everything into gossip!" Sage blurted. She still looked worried that someone would speak up about their previous topic.

Cobalt cocked his head. Theo thought the look in his eye appeared somewhat hurt.

"Hey!" one of his followers defended him. "Don't say that about him."

"Heh, heh." Cobalt tried to lighten the mood, closing his eyes with a fake chuckle. "Not to worry, Thistle-"

"Cobalt," Wolfe was suddenly there beside him, chest out and shoulders tilted to the side in an attempt to look attractive. "I hear you have a way with females."

"Ah," Cobalt stammered, chin quivering. He warily watched her as she curled herself around him. "A-a-actually...I have found someone..." Desperately he whipped his head about, looking at all the dragons around him. Hastily, he picked one of his followers. "Pigeon!" he announced and rushed to her side. "Pigeon is my pairing. I will have no other. N-no other than her."

Pigeon gasped. "Cobalt!" she delighted. She hugged herself close to him and the corners of his mouth crept shakily upwards into a dubious smile.

"Hmm!" Wolfe's eyes flicked over the two of them irritably. Pigeon made no notice; she just beamed with her new found pride in having Cobalt as her pairing. Cobalt's other admirers became mirror images of Wolfe, frowning and offended. Only, they faked smiles at Pigeon when she swiveled her gleeful gaze towards them.

"Let us go, Pairing..." Cobalt stated unnaturally and Pigeon was quick to agree.

Wolfe stalked away as they left. So did the rest of Cobalt's admirers, muttering to each other.

"Whew," Sky exhaled, relaxing. "I actually kind of feel bad for Cobalt. Did you see how Wolfe...rubbed up against him?"

"Yes, yes," Theo excused hurriedly, not appreciating the image created in her head. "Say, um-"

Just then, Sky's pupils, Chestnut and Plover came skipping forward.

"Sky! Sky!" they yipped. "Take us to the cliffs to fly!"

Sky eyed Theo, thinking. "Sure," she decided. "And River can come with us."

"Oh, uh..." Theo scrambled for words. "Thanks, but I'd rather not."

If there was one thing she dreaded trying, it was flying.

Sky grinned at her. "You can just watch. Come on!" And she got up to go on her way, saying goodbye to Sage, as though Theo had already given in.

Chestnut and Plover bounded up to her, leaping up and squealing, "This way! This way!" as they wrestled her in the right direction.

"Alright, alright," Theo surrendered, trying not to trip over them as she followed after Sky.

"They've been begging me to take them flying for days now," Sky told Theo, fondly watching the two pupils race ahead. "Plover likes jumping off boulders in front of me just to prove how she's mastered gliding. Then Chestnut joins in and they have distance contests." Sky laughed. "I think they're ready."

"They are a healthy looking pair..." Theo conveyed absentmindedly, preoccupied with imagining the tall, tall cliffs and jagged rocks below, hidden by monstrous waves that collided with the earth.

"It's not hard," Sky assured her, as though reading Theo's mind. "All you have to do is leap and then your body takes over. You'll see."

Theo stopped abruptly. "You said I could just watch!"

"I know," Sky sighed. "But flying is an important skill to master! Now that you breathe fire, don't you think you should learn how to fly, too? I'd be right there with you. It's easy."

"I've heard others say that you're an exceptional flier, so of course you'd think it's easy." Theo sulked, walking onwards.

"Yes, but you could be an even better flier than I! I'm telling you, it's just that first jump that's hard."

Theo turned her head to determine whether she spoke truthfully or not. "Did you hesitate?" she asked.

"Of course!" Sky proclaimed. "Chestnut and Plover are excited right now, but I'll wager they'll do a double take before they actually go for it. Watch them."

. . .

Sky was wrong. The moment the edge of the world came into view, Chestnut and Plover ran and just kept running until they fell out of sight.

Theo gasped and started to rush forward to see if they were alright, but before she could, Plover came soaring upward with Chestnut hot on her tail. The pupils screamed joyfully, spiraling around each other, swooping and escalating. Sky cheered them on from the ground, yelling out things like, "Great dive, Chestnut!" and "Plover, what a perfect turn!"

Theo stared, tensely in awe as they flew through the air like natural born professionals. It was captivating.

She pried her eyes away from the airshow as she realized Sky was talking to her. "What?" she asked.

"Are you reconsidering giving it a try?" Sky repeated, a spark gleaming in her eye.

"I never was considering it!" Theo lied, glancing over as Plover shot past.

Sky gave her a knowing look. "Yes you were," she pressed playfully.

Theo opened her mouth, then closed it, rethinking her response. "Hasn't anyone failed before?" she asked finally.

Sky cocked her head. "Failed? What do you mean by that?"

"I mean..." Theo swallowed. "Has anyone ever gotten hurt because they couldn't fly after all?"

"River," Sky laughed. "You have a pair of beautiful, flawless wings! The only problem is that you keep telling yourself you can't do it."

"Not true," Theo lied again.

"Then prove me wrong," Sky challenged. "Come here. Just trust me."

Theo dammed her excuses deep within her throat and crept closer. As she looked down, her eyes focused in on a sea wyvern an indescribable distance beneath her, flying just above dark, violent waves.

She drew in her breath sharply and pulled away from the dizzying heights. Sky watched her, frowning.

"I knew a dragon like you once," Sky said, raising her voice over the wind. "He feared falling so much that he couldn't bear to lift a claw over the edge."

"Who?" Theo asked. She had to meet this dragon.

"But he still learned how to fly." Sky ignored Theo's question. "All he needed was a different tactic.

"See," Sky continued, "that winter, the Lake was almost completely iced over. The ice was thin, but that's how he needed it. All he had to do was jump out onto it and, the moment it broke out from under him, his wings flung open and he was flying!"

Theo pictured what she said. "I'd do that," she claimed, thinking it over. "That doesn't sound bad at all."

"But that's not my point," Sky said. "My point is, he was able to fly even though he was afraid to."

"Then let me learn his way," Theo replied.

"But you should learn now," Sky complained. "And I don't think the Lake is iced over yet. Can't you just trust me? Just this once?"

Theo looked her in the eye. "I am not jumping off a cliff."

"Please, River!" Sky pleaded. "You didn't want to try wrestling at first but you were great at it! Just give this a chance."

"No." Theo turned around to leave, tired of her friend's relentless nagging.
Chapter 11

A few days later, Theo found herself staring into the clear waters of the creek that ran through Camp. Not far away from her was Sky.

I should have just jumped, she regretted, thinking back on what happened at the cliffs. I'm sure everything would have been fine. I just had to trust Sky and take the leap.

She refused, however, to admit to herself that her chance was still open. If she truly wanted to fly, the cliffs were still there, waiting for her.

Looking across the bank, Theo was pleased to see a smattering of colors put on by the flowers of spring. High and low- red, purple, white, and yellow broke up the constant green of foliage, calling to the bees and butterflies.

A striker bounded up beside her and crouched to drink.

"What is the name of this creek?" Theo asked.

The striker looked at her strangely. "The creek hasn't named itself," she scoffed.

"Exactly," Theo concurred. "So it's up to others to name it."

"What do you name a creek?" the striker asked with a puzzled expression on her face.

"I guess that's up to you," Theo replied pleasantly, noticing that Sky was approaching them.

The striker was quiet as she thought. "Oh, I know!" she exclaimed. "We can name it 'The Creek that Falls into the Sea and Provides Us with Many Fish.'" She smiled at Theo proudly.

Theo shook her head, trying not to laugh. "That's not a name," she told her. "It needs to be something shorter."

"Well then!" the striker snapped, clearly offended. "Why don't we call it 'River's Creek' since you have all the say in the matter?!" She stalked away in a huff.

Theo stared after her in bewilderment.

Sky leaned in close to her. "Strikers!" she laughed. "Always so quick to the offense."

"That's what I'm gathering," Theo agreed, shaking her head.

As she lowered her head to drink from the cool stream, something caught her eye. From behind a branch, trailing in the water, she saw something the color of aquamarine. Curious she approached, only to draw back sharply when she realized what it was.

"Sky!" she exclaimed and the dragon bound to her side, gasping as she saw what it was.

With its wings and legs tangled in twigs, a hatchling was being pressed against the branch by the current, its head bobbing under. Coming to her senses, Theo rushed to lift the branch out of the water with her jaws, seeing that the hatchling came with it. Sky leapt to and fro, trying to keep out of the way as Theo slowly swung it up onto the bank.

As gently as she possibly could, Theo laid down the branch, making sure that the little one wasn't smothered beneath it.

"Quick! Help me!" Thinking her claws were more dangerous than helpful, Theo and Sky tried in desperation to delicately detach the hatchling from the trap. As a human, she could have scooped the baby dragon up from the ground and cradled it close like an infant, but to do such a thing as a dragon was impossible. Finally, they succeeded in untangling it, but by then the bitter truth had made itself clear. The hatchling had drowned before anyone had even noticed it.

"No!" Theo cried, overwhelmed.

It's too young to die!

Sky bowed her head mournfully, wings trembling.

Someone nearby who'd heard Theo's cry came hurrying to the scene. It was Damon.

"I've got it," he assured her, his fingers tenderly wrapping around its underbelly. Wings, legs, tail, and head all drooped as he lifted it.

"It's too late, Damon," Theo whimpered.

"I know," he said grimly. "There was nothing you could do. Don't blame yourself."

Theo silenced herself. Before, when she had been a human, she'd not have understood the severe loss of such a treasure. Now, the dead hatchling held against the Wizard's chest was a sight unbearable to her. She looked down at the ground in grief.

"Poor thing," she heard her brother murmur.

What Theo felt was incomprehensible. All she recognized was a terrible, terrible feeling that seized her from the inside- the worst of sensations.

Sky clearly felt the same, standing there with eyes closed, as though unable to function.

"Theora," Damon asked for her attention and she looked up at the sound of her true name. "Theora, I need you to find Adder for me."

"But Damon," she sobbed.

"Sister, please."

A tremor ran through her body and she nodded.

. . .

She looked for Adder, asking those at Camp where he was, but without telling them what was wrong. It was dusk by the time she finally found him talking to Wycker.

"Adder," Theo begged for his attention.

Wycker turned his sharp eye and Adder gazed at her in patience. "Yes?" he said.

"Please come with me to Damon." Theo broke down. "It's- it's a drowned hatchling."

Wycker was on the move immediately, headed in the direction of Damon's shelter.

"Wait!" she called. "That's not where I left him."

Wycker didn't stop. "This is where he will be," he responded with certainty, disappearing into the trees.

Theo stared after him.

"Best to trust Wycker," Adder told her gently, moving forward to follow Wycker's lead. "He has the instinct for this sort of thing."

. . .

Wycker was right. Damon had returned to his home, bringing the hatchling with him. He had placed the tiny body down on a neatly folded blanket.

"I see," Adder exhaled, spotting the little one next to Damon, where he sat in front of a campfire outside.

Damon stood to silently greet his company.

"Is this the first time this has happened?" Theo asked, but was given no reply as Adder took his time to think.

"Let us bury her," Adder decided eventually. "I cannot think of anything better."

"Adder," Wycker interjected, bothered. "That is a human tradition."

"That I should know, Wycker, considering I used to be human," Adder replied. "However, do you have a different suggestion for us?"

Wycker paused for a long time. It became apparent to Theo that he wasn't going to answer.

"Damon," Adder said. "Would you please...?"

Damon bowed his head. "Surely," he answered, knowing well what Adder was asking of him.

"Thank you. A simple burial should suffice."

. . .

Theo found Sky flying in dismal, troubled circles, high above the creek where they had found the hatchling.

Terrible feelings whirled within Theo, twisting her insides. She wished she could cry them out with tears, but her cold, reptilian form would not allow it.

Who knows how many times something like this has happened without anyone ever knowing! Theo was in turmoil. Yet there is so little we can do! All the hatchlings...they split up and hide so no one can find them. They're small. They make no sound...What could we do to better protect them?

Theo could see the flaw in the dragons' society. They respect each other as equals, but have no way to nurture their youth. In Wystil, a mother would never leave her infant. But here?! Here, the mothers let their infants leave them!

"Sky?" Theo called up to her distant friend, but got no response.

From the woods came Plover and Chestnut, parading with dead quails in their mouths.

"Sky! Sky!" they cheered. "See what we caught!" They craned their heads back to see their mentor so far up. Plover dropped her quail and beat her wings to meet Sky in the air.

Proudly, Chestnut marched in front of Theo, his quail swinging by the head from his mouth. "Look," he demanded. "I caught it all by myself."

The bird's body was mangled, flesh torn by abuse and feathers glossed over with slobber. Theo forced herself to acknowledge him with a meek nod.

She could see Plover talking to Sky, who had finally ceased her dreary buzzard's flight. Together, the two descended back down to steady ground, where Chestnut met them, eager to show off his quail.

"Good...catch," Sky told him in a raspy, faltering voice. "I'm very...proud of you."

It pained Theo even more to see her friend so sad. Plover looked up at her mentor with concerned curiosity, but Chestnut was oblivious, enraptured in a new game of chasing his tail.

Sky approached Theo, her stride sapped of joy and liveliness. "What did the Wizard do with-" Her voice cut out.

"He buried her," Theo answered softly, looking into her friend's eyes with the feeling of shared sorrow connecting them.

How beautiful it is to understand one another.

Sky's face crinkled and her jaw trembled as she confessed, "I can't help but blame myself! No one can say it was the hatchling's fault...She couldn't recognize danger like that. But we could...if we were watching her! How can we be so comfortable with neglecting them?"

Theo shook her head. She didn't know what to say.

If only we had been there in time...
Chapter 12

Theo was with a group of dragons that basked in the sun, talking quietly of the most recent successful hunting areas, potential pupils, possible pairings...

That poor hatchling, she mourned still, though it was weeks after her traumatic discovery of the dead young one.

How can they lay here, talking about such small things when there are young ones at risk? she criticized. How is it that a hatchling can go stumbling into the creek and drown without anyone noticing before it's too late?

I've started to enjoy being a dragon- accepting the firesap, winning a wrestling match...I used to be so bored as a human. Life was so dull. Still...

She was about to leave when she noticed the dragons around her picking up a scent. Their conversation had died out. They held their heads up with mouths slightly agape, tasting the air. Wondering what it was they smelled, Theo did the same.

When she breathed in, an entire forest of scents came swirling into her mouth- pine trees, running water, wet dirt, dry sand, oak wood...But the most prominent of them all was the scent that carried downwind. It was strongly familiar, except something was different.

"Do you smell human?" Lichen asked. "It must be that man who lives near the Archway...What is his name?"

"Damon," Theo answered him. She'd never realized just how strong a man smelled until she became a dragon.

"That's not Damon's scent," Jacinth said, walking up to them. "This odor isn't as...musty." She narrowed her eyes.

"You think there's a stranger here?" Lichen was alarmed.

"There was a stranger here," Jacinth corrected him. "Whoever it was must have left a little while ago. The breeze just now picked up, wafting his scent our way."

"Then we should go investigate," Theo suggested, standing up. Sky, who had been very quiet ever since the tragedy, followed Theo with her somber gaze.

"Damn right we're going to investigate," Wolfe snarled nearby, leaping up.

The dragons looked at each other and rose.

Jacinth took the lead, tracking down the way by scent. Wolfe beat her wings in flight above them, practicing her growl and swiping at thin air.

When they passed Adder, he asked them where they were going. He said he had noticed the smell too, and now decided to join them.

Soon they came upon the creek. Theo took note of how significantly lower the water level was than it used to be.

Wolfe sailed to the other bank. Theo was thankful when others decided to trek their way across the water instead.

As they made their way up towards the mountain range alongside the creek, the scent became stronger. Theo no longer had to part her jaws to grasp it.

They were almost at the foot of the mountains and the trees were beginning to thin out when Jacinth stopped. She swung her head from side to side, trying to locate the exact source.

At the base of one thick tree, the ground was dug out to form a hollow space, held together by tree roots. Other dragon burrows dotted the area around them, but many of them were empty. Theo did not know why the dragons dug so many nests, only to lay their eggs in a selective few. She assumed they were just being picky.

Jacinth stared hard into the burrow at the trunk of the tree. It was heartening to see four speckled eggs nestled deep inside, each about ten times the size of a chicken's egg.

"Whose clutch is this?" Jacinth asked. Her body was rigid stiff, as though something was very wrong.

"It's mine, why?!" Sky panicked, thrusting her head forward. After she had a good look inside, she exclaimed, "The fifth is missing!"

Theo froze. No...she thought. No, Sky's been through enough already. She can't handle another loss!

"Listen," Jacinth called attention. "Whoever stole Sky's egg must be back in human territory by now. No human's going to raise one of us under their command. And with so many clutches ending up as stones, we already face possible extinction."

Theo didn't quite understand that last part, but the other dragons agreed, bounding for the Archway. Theo was about to follow but, as she passed the robbed nest, something caught her eye. In the fine dust at the mouth of the burrow was the clear imprint of a small hand. She stared at it, entranced.

How very small it is, she marveled. Surely it belongs to a child!

Hurriedly, she ran to catch up.

. . .

Each of them had to crouch to get through the Archway, one at a time. With the water so low, the hidden entrance was no longer submerged completely. Light shone through a thin gap where the water did not reach. Every time a dragon went under, the water rose and slapped the top of the yawning. Theo was the last to enter human territory, blinking in the brightness of the sun as she came up.

The dragons lined the bank of Iron Creek, all alert and watchful of the unfamiliar woods. Theo waded her way across to join them.

Over the slow running water, Theo thought she heard something. Her heart quickened as she recognized it as human voices.

Theo mounted the bank, pulling up alongside Jacinth.

"Jacinth," Theo whispered. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Jacinth whipped her head around.

I was raised listening to humans, Theo thought. Maybe I'm quicker at detecting their voices.

"Here, come this way," she hushed, guiding Jacinth farther away from the water. She was aware of the rest following close behind.

Theo listened, trying to make out the words. Jacinth was picking up on it too, tilting her head and keeping perfectly still.

"-and you found this?" a man was saying.

"Y-yes," a young boy's voice wavered in response.

"Did you see anything? A dragon?" another man asked, eagerly. They sounded just beyond a thick cluster of pine trees, not far away.

"N-n-no." The boy sounded shaken. "B-but they were there...I could feel it."

"Good job, lad." There was the sound of a pat on the back. "We have to tell the king that we found a way past those damn plants!"

There was a murmur of agreements. The boy coughed.

"'Ere, boy! You gotta come with us so you can tell your tale to the king himself! Keep hold of this egg here. I'm sure he'll be right glad if you showed him your find."

The boy started stuttering a response, but the dragons already heard all that they needed. Jacinth looked at Adder, who acknowledged her with confirmation, and the dragons took their silent move forward.

Jacinth, Sky, Wolfe, and Theo all stood together, directly behind the trees, while Adder and Lichen stalked around to the backs of their targets, unseen.

Between the pine needles, Theo could see three woodsmen and the boy. The three men were just standing up from their makeshift circle of tree stumps and rocks. Theo guessed the boy to be only nine years old or so. He sat, shivering wet with a pelt draped over his shoulders for warmth. In his hands, he held the stolen dragon egg. It was patterned with a flurry of speckles of browns, greens, and beige.

Beside Theo, Wolfe curled back her lips in a silent snarl.

From the corner of her eye, Theo saw Jacinth open her mouth. Suddenly, a wall of flames crackled before them, obstructing the humans' view of them like a fiery curtain.

The men shouted in surprise, jumping away and staring. As one, Jacinth, Sky, Wolfe, and Theo stepped out into the flames. Wolfe dropped down into a crouch, her snarl now audible.

"You've made a grave mistake, Child!" Jacinth yelled. "Hand it over!" The boy leapt to his feet, letting the egg thud to the ground, its fall softened by tufts of moss.

The adults scattered, hollering out when Adder and Lichen came out of nowhere, but they were allowed to pass. The boy tried to run too, but Adder swiftly snagged his tunic and dragged him back over.

Crying out, the child kicked and tried to wriggle free, but Adder had his jaws locked tight onto his clothes. The dragons gathered around, Wolfe barking with sharp laughter at the child's struggle. Theo moved somewhat farther away from her.

Sky rushed to her egg, cautiously turning it over with one talon to examine it for cracks. Its thick shell appeared to be unharmed.

"Jacinth?" Lichen spoke up. "How are we going to get that back to its nest? None of us can handle it without breaking it."

"That's why we have this child." Adder spat the boy out, who fell to the ground with the back of his tunic stretched out and pierced by Adder's teeth. Theo was relieved to see that the boy himself was not hurt.

"When are we going to kill him?" Wolfe snickered under her breath. Theo walked away from her to the other side of the circle without a word.

The boy held his breath, pressing himself hard against the cold ground, his face drained of color as Jacinth began talking to him. Theo was reminded of when she'd first seen Wycker speak. How long ago that feels!

"What is your name, young man?" Jacinth asked him, sounding like a stern mother.

The child said nothing, just stared.

Jacinth lowered her head closer to him. "Your name?" she repeated.

"Xander." His voice was dry and so quiet that Theo could barely make it out.

"You've got yourself in a mess, Xander," Jacinth growled.

"I'm sorry!" He gasped for breath. "I wouldn't have taken it if I knew it was yours- I swear I wouldn't have!"

"Good," she snorted, giving him some more space. "Now you just have to put it back and we will leave you be."

"What?!" Wolfe cried, but the others ignored her.

"No-" Xander recoiled. "No, no, no. Please don't make me go back there! They made me go there once already, said they'd pay me. I just wanted to buy food, that's all!"

"Are you going hungry?" Theo asked, concerned.

"I'm going hungry," Wolfe complained.

"Shut up, Wolfe," Jacinth ticked irritably. Then, picking up on Theo's maternal approach, she cooed, "Xander, we need you to carry this egg back for us."

The boy didn't respond and Jacinth looked to Theo for help.

She needs the human in me, Theo thought, slowly approaching. So we can get this kid on his feet...

"Come on, get up," Theo tried, wincing as Xander snapped his head around to look at her, startled.

He shook his head desperately. "No, please," he pleaded.

Finally, Adder lost his patience. He lifted the boy up off the ground again by the tunic and Xander started shouting, "Alright! Alright!"

Xander's feet brushed the ground and Adder opened his mouth in release, causing the child to stumble forward before regaining balance.

"The egg..." Jacinth reminded him and Xander crept over to pick it up.

"Good," she sighed. "Let's move."

Xander staggered along, sticking close to Jacinth's side as Wolfe slinked right next to him.

"If you drop that," Wolfe taunted him, "I'll kill you. If you take one wrong step, I will kill you."

"Get lost, Wolfe," Jacinth snapped.

"Fine," Wolfe muttered, running ahead to pass Adder up for the lead.

Xander's steps were jittery and he clutched the egg as though it were a lifeline.

"The poor child..." Theo murmured to Lichen and Sky, bringing up the rear. "He's a complete wreck." She gazed around to check the safety of their entrance.

Wolfe, followed by Adder, disappeared to the other side of the Archway. Jacinth looked down at Xander.

"Go on," she told him.

He stared up at her, terrified. "But that one called Wolf-" he started, appalled.

"I'm right behind you," Jacinth assured him, looking back at Theo as the boy ducked under.

Theo nodded to her. "Not bad," she said.

Jacinth smiled, and went through the Archway herself.

"Do humans know dragons can talk?" Lichen asked to no one in particular as they waded their way through the valley.

Theo took a moment to determine whether she should answer or not. He doesn't know I used to be a human, she reminded herself. "No-" she began, then decided to rephrase so that she didn't sound so confident. "I don't think they do."

"But now they know." Lichen took on a smug expression.

Theo breathed in deeply. "Yeah," she agreed. "Now they know."
Chapter 13

"Here are its brothers and sisters, Xander." Jacinth nodded towards the clutch nestled in the burrow. "Be careful, now."

His hair dripping wet, Xander looked around at the dragons watching him- Adder, Sky, Theo...his gaze rushed past Wolfe. Then Theo noticed him glance a little too purposely past Lichen.

He's going to make a run for it, Theo predicted to herself.

Sure enough, the moment he had lowered the egg back into its place, he leapt up and shot past Lichen.

"Catch him!" Jacinth alerted.

Panicky and on impulse, Lichen tackled the boy, leaving him groaning and squirming where he was pinned.

"Lichen!" Jacinth balked, mortified.

"I'm sorry!" Lichen bawled, backing off of him. "I've never handled a human before!"

Theo rushed forward to see him with Lichen peering cautiously from behind.

"Did I break him?" he fretted.

Theo watched Xander as he sorely sat himself up and stared at his scraped hands and knees. "No," Theo exhaled. "He looks fine."

Jacinth again sent away Wolfe, who was laughing hysterically at what had just happened. Wolfe walked away, practically lapsing over in her shrill fit as she went.

"Now we have a decision to make," Adder said when Wolfe's batty laughter faded into the distance. "What do we do with the human child?"

Xander's head shot up at the mention of him, but he didn't dare say a word.

Everyone was silent, looking around to everyone else for the answer.

"Well, we can't just kill him!" Lichen finally let out.

All agreed.

Xander looked board-stiff in fear that such an option was up for consideration.

"Yet we would be fools to let him run back home with such knowledge." Jacinth gritted her teeth.

Adder agreed grimly.

"So we have to keep him here," Jacinth decided, looking down at the boy who shook uncontrollably, wide eyes swiveling. "I will keep watch over him."

Theo stared. We're going to hold this boy against his will? She supposed she couldn't think of a better solution.

Xander began to beg, his words barely decipherable as they all molded into one endless strand of pleas.

Jacinth ignored him. "River," she said. "I would appreciate it if you accompanied me while I look after him, considering you used to be-" She broke off, giving Xander a side-long glance. "Well, you know."

Theo inhaled deeply. "Yes, of course," she consented. "Although, I must warn you, it's a big commitment."

Jacinth met her gaze. "I understand completely," she said.

. . .

Theo awoke to the sound of sniffling and moved her eyes in the boy's direction.

He was curled up against a tree near Camp, where Jacinth had brought him. He hadn't left her side the whole rest of the day and Jacinth didn't seem to need Theo's help with managing him, after all.

The night was screaming with beetles in the trees and the sound of owls' wings whirred overhead. Something wailed in the dark and Xander held himself tighter, stifling sobs into his tucked in knees as the breeze rattled the pine needles.

Other dragons had picked up on his noise as well. Many of the females appeared to be instinctively drawn to it, leaning inward and peering at the small child in distress. Theo wondered if it was a long forgotten maternal behavior- a fragment of what the dragons originally used to be.

Theo closed her eyes once more, knowing she could be of no comfort to the boy. He would have to get over his fear on his own.

Yet, she found she could not sleep, unable to ignore his sounds. With a sigh, she rose to her feet and the child's cry cut off abruptly. She turned to look back at him, moonlight bathing her scales and saw that he was staring straight at her, eyes wide.

She took a deep breath. There's nothing I can do, she told herself, nodding in acknowledgment to Jacinth as she walked away to find some place less unsettling.
Chapter 14

"River, look at what I caught!" Lichen stood next to a freshly killed deer, his chest swelling with pride. The buck at his feet was brown with a white belly and tufted tail. On top of its head, a full rack of antlers extended outwards, splitting off into multiple pointed ends like tree branches.

"Nice," Theo replied, observing it as she approached. "Very nice."

Lichen couldn't have looked happier. "Would you like any of it?" he offered, his smile breaking into a grin full of teeth.

"Oh!" Theo was pleasantly surprised by his sudden generosity. "Are you sure you don't mind?" Her claws nudged the carcass. She herself wasn't hungry, but she was certain of someone else who was.

"Please do!" Lichen rippled with pride. He didn't look as though he planned on eating any time soon, too busy calling out to his friends for approval.

"Thank you," Theo said between her teeth, her voice muffled by the buck's fur. Carefully, she tore a chunk of meat off. She heard a pop from somewhere inside the carcass- a noise that would have disturbed her a couple years back but not now. When she finally got the sizable piece completely detached, she gently placed it on a rock.

"What are you doing?" Lichen asked her, sounding thoroughly baffled as Theo began roasting the meat with flames from her jaws.

"Xander has to be hungry," Theo told him, turning the hunk over and again blasting it with flames. She repeated this over and over until she thought it looked well-cooked on all surfaces.

"I hadn't thought of that!" Lichen exclaimed. "I'll have to offer him a share of my kill!" He began to amble determinedly away, but Theo called him back.

"No, Lichen. See, that's what I'm doing," Theo explained. "The boy can't have raw meat."

"Raw meat?" Lichen repeated after her.

"Yes, so I just cooked this."

"Cooked?" Lichen was at a loss.

"I hope it's good enough..." Theo worried out loud, looking the slab of meat over.

Just then, Xander appeared, picking twigs out from his clothes. Theo noted that he was looking much more relaxed, probably having realized the dragons didn't wish him harm. He wasn't sticking so closely to Jacinth now, either, making her pick up the pace to keep up with him.

"What smells good?" Xander stopped suddenly, peering over at the portion Theo had ready for him.

"I caught a deer," Lichen boasted and Xander gawked at the dead animal.

"Whoa!" He laughed, running over to it. "These antlers!" He lifted up the buck's head, staring into its large black eyes.

"He's obviously doing better," Theo mentioned when Jacinth joined her.

"I swear, he's a frisk!" Jacinth uttered. "He's been climbing trees, jumping boulders, sending rocks flying..."

"Yeah, boys will do that," Theo laughed. "Looks like he's taken a few falls, too."

"Yes, but he just jumps right back up," Jacinth snorted.

"Uh, excuse me," Xander called. He was looking at Theo, pointing at the cooked meat. "Is this...?"

Theo smiled. "That's for you," she said. "Sorry if it's a little burnt."

"Thanks!" Xander practically jumped on it. "I'm starving!"

"He must be hungry," Jacinth said. "Earlier today he climbed a tree and was eating the apples on it. Can you believe that? Apples!"

"What are apples?" Lichen asked her.

Theo couldn't hear Jacinth's explanation for Lichen. The smell of roasted venison was bringing back memories and she found herself caught up in the past.

She realized just how different the dragons were from the ones humans liked to tell tales of. The humans' vision of a dragon was a greedy, materialistic monster that stole princesses and slept on hoards of treasures. And yet, the Colonists behaved completely different.

It's almost as though humans envision dragons as huge, exaggerated versions of themselves, she realized. Power hungry, selfish beings...People have dug those characteristics out of their lives and concentrated them all into one appalling beast, just so that they, the humans, could arrive on the scene as the hero.

. . .

When the sun began to fall, Theo sensed a change in Xander. His playfulness was long gone and something seemed to be bothering him. He had gotten quieter but didn't appear tired.

Theo tried not to watch him, but he just kept tossing and turning where he lay in his resting place.

He just needs to adjust to sleeping outside, Theo told herself. Or maybe he's cold.

"You should take him to Damon," Theo told Jacinth quietly. "He might have some things Xander could use."

"Like what?"

"Well, you have to recognize a human is not nearly as equipped for living out in the woods as a dragon is. He needs a blanket, at least. We can't have him catching a cold out here."

"Humans are so weak," Jacinth articulated. "How do they even survive?"

That's the problem, Theo worried. They're better off together.

Chapter 15

The next morning, Jacinth and Theo brought Xander to Damon's place. Xander's energy seemed to have returned. He explored as they went, lifting up rocks to watch the spiders scatter out from under them and rustling bushes to see if any animals would come out. He started to shuffle up a tree to examine a bird's nest, but Jacinth asked him to keep up.

When they reached their destination and Damon set eyes on Theo, he looked as though something was wrong.

"What?" Theo asked him.

"You've accepted the firesap," he uttered with a calculating look on his face.

"Yes..." she said, cocking her head. "How did you know?"

Damon shook his head. "Never mind that," he replied. "Why did you do it?"

Theo laughed. "Why not do it? Besides, I've been a dragon this long...Thought I might as well breathe fire like them." As she said this, the drowned hatchling again flashed before her eyes, making her question her decision.

Damon gave no response but looked perturbed, which bothered Theo somewhat, knowing that he was more educated on the matter than she.

Pushing her doubts aside, she stood by as Jacinth led Xander forward.

"Wizard," Jacinth greeted. "This is Xander."

"I've heard about him," Damon replied carelessly.

Xander stared around at Damon's abode. "You actually live here?" he asked, excited. Peering in through the doorway, he let out an exclamation and welcomed himself in. "Whoa!" he laughed from inside. "You really are a wizard! You've got a cauldron and...whatever this thing is...And this!"

He eagerly began rummaging through Damon's belongings. Jacinth didn't seem to know that Xander was being rude, because she didn't call him back out. Damon didn't seem to mind, anyway.

"Did you tell the Wizard how you actually cooked meat for Xander?" Jacinth asked Theo.

Damon gave Theo a disapproving look. "Roasting what the boy consumes with your fire could cause multiple magics to fuse, resulting in an end product unknown to you," he lectured. "An unfamiliar magical compound could have any effect on him for all you know, perhaps of little or no harm, but in the most severe cases it could be fatal."

Theo stared at him like he was insane. Then, seeing that he was by all means serious, she looked away. "He looks fine to me," she grumbled.

"It would appear he's alright, this time," Damon confirmed. "Still, I would advise you to not prepare his meals again. Instead, let him come to me. I'm not opposed to sharing with another human, and that way you wouldn't have to worry about his well-being concerning what he should and should not eat."

Theo sighed. His offer was reasonable, she had to admit. In fact, it solved all their problems. "Fine," she gave in and abruptly left.

"Thank you, Wizard," Jacinth said to him and went to join Theo, summoning Xander.

"Now, Xander," Jacinth said, as the boy raced to catch up. "The Wizard is kind enough to share his meals with you, so when you get hungry, feel free to come here."

"Oh!" Xander obviously liked the idea. "Maybe then I could see him do- You know. Whatever he does that makes him a wizard."

"He makes potions," Theo clarified for him.

"Oh right, I saw his cauldron," Xander remembered. Then, looking disappointed, he said, "But I didn't see any newt eyes or crow hearts..."

Theo smiled. I've found quite a few fairy tales to be false, myself.

"Hey," Xander breathed, eyes widening as though something had just dawned on him. "Is the princess here? Did she run away to be Princess of the Dragons, or something?"

"Uh..." Jacinth looked to Theo.

Theo tried not to laugh as she said, "Yeah, she's here alright."

Xander's eyes fluttered with amazement. "Am I going to meet her?" he asked.

Theo's heart was warmed to see the child full of awe at the thought of meeting her. "We'll see," she answered.

Just then, Aspen hailed them, coming out of the trees. "Hello, Friends!"

She crouched playfully in front of Xander. "You must be Xander. You're the talk of the whole forest- did you know that?"

"Um," Xander scratched his head. "No, I didn't know the trees talked here, too."

Aspen laughed loudly at Xander's joke and he grinned.

"Xander, this is Aspen," Jacinth introduced her. "You'll probably be seeing her quite frequently at Damon's place."

"Isn't 'aspen' the name of a tree?" he asked.

"It is!" Aspen was eager to answer. "I named myself that because, when I was a hatchling, I picked an aspen tree to climb. I could show you it if you want."

"Sounds good," Xander agreed. "Maybe I can climb it, too."

Aspen grinned. "I'll bet you can't."

"Challenge accepted!" Xander shot back, looking hopefully to Jacinth. "Can I?"

"Yes, you may," Jacinth said. Looking to Aspen she added, "Just let me know when he tires you out."

Aspen laughed. "Not a problem!" Then she dared Xander to a race and they disappeared, crashing into the forest.

Jacinth shook her head. "A total frisk."
Chapter 16

Jacinth came to Theo in the afternoon, asking her to go watch Xander for a while. "He's at Damon's place right now," she said. "I'll come for him soon, but right now I'm going hunting."

"Not a problem," Theo agreed and headed for Damon's as Jacinth left.

She found Xander just outside Damon's shabby shelter.

"So where do you keep your wand?" Xander asked, watching as Damon threw together a potion over a violent fire.

"Wands," Damon replied huskily, "are nothing but a poor misunderstanding of wizardry. Swishing a stick around and speaking nonsense has no relation to magic. Magic is found in physical objects, not actions."

"Oh." Xander sounded disappointed. "Then where are the magical objects?"

Damon continued on with his busy work, occasionally peering into the cauldron. "Everywhere," he answered, preoccupied. "Everything living contains magic."

Xander laughed, disbelieving. "So you're saying I have magic inside of me?"

"Many magics. You'd be dead without most of them."

"Damon," Theo stepped in, suspicious. "What lies are you filling this boy's ears with?"

"They are not lies," Damon responded. "They are honest answers to his questions."

"Wait River, let me listen," Xander urged. Then he asked Damon, "So if I were dead, then what?"

"The magic would leave your body as you deteriorated, beginning the Cycle of Magic anew," Damon said, dropping a handful of berries into the pot.

"The Cycle of Magic!" Xander was clearly entertained. "What's that?"

Damon stopped to face him, looking fatigued as always. "That's a question with a big answer," he warned, but Xander was not deterred.

"The purest form of magic," Damon began with a sigh, "is found wherever life is found. It has its ways of entering you and me, by air or by water. It may help you to think of magic as paint. Pure magic starts out colorless, but living things add color to it, making different kinds of magics."

Damon paused, looking around for something as he muttered. Then, spotting the beetle on his garments, he brushed it into the cauldron murmuring, "That will do."

"So, 'different kinds of magic...'" Xander prompted him, watching as the beetle struggled to escape the boiling deathtrap.

"Yes, yes," Damon chided. "With every kind of living thing comes a different kind of magic. Now, a kind of magic can have a beneficial, harmful, or neutral effect on you, should you come into contact with it. For example, many things are known as 'poisonous' to people because the magics inside those things have harmful effects on them. And, when a person is 'poisoned', they need something with magic that will heal them. Now, if someone not 'poisoned' ate the same thing that would benefit a 'poisoned' person, the effect would be, in most cases, neutral."

Xander looked dizzy with information.

"Also, a kind of magic will often have different effects on different living things." Damon held up a nut. "See, the kind of magic inside this would make me ill if I ate it. But the animals that eat it for food are benefitted by it."

"Oh," Xander said. He seemed to be losing interest, but Damon couldn't be stopped now.

"A potion," Damon gestured to his cauldron, "is made up of many different types of magics mixed together to create a new type of magic. Yet, in order for most potions to be successful they require one thing. That one thing is dragon fire. Most magics will not fuse unless heated by dragon fire."

Damon used two hands on a sturdy wooden spoon to stir his thick concoction. Large bubbles slowly rose to the surface, each making a deep blurp sound as they popped. Damon looked at Xander as though expecting a question from him, but Xander just sat, scratching drawings into the dirt.

"For some reason regular fire won't do the trick," Damon told him. "Only dragon fire will."

"Huh," Xander responded, not bothering to look up.

"How is it that you know all this, Damon?" Theo inquired.

Damon looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I can see magic," he replied.

Theo laughed, but Damon's face remained serious.

I don't believe it, Theo thought. Being able to see magic! What a ridiculous notion.
Chapter 17

Theo found another of Egret's sketches in the dirt. Puzzled, she looked at it from all directions, circling it, trying to figure out what it was. It was a strange figure, resembling no animal or plant she'd ever seen.

Finally, Theo turned her head at just the right angle to see that it was a human. Why did it take me so long to recognize it? she wondered. The drawing had two arms, two legs, a body and a head- yet it was hardly identifiable. Egret just needs more practice, she decided, completely ignoring the fact that Egret's drawing was far better than anything she could ever have done.

Theo turned her attention back to Xander, not far off. She had had to entertain him for the whole rest of the day, not sure of what ever happened to Jacinth.

With the darkening sky of the evening, the deep red dragon came at last.

"Sorry," Jacinth apologized, dragging her feet as she walked. "Poor hunting today. All I got was a squirrel."

"That's alright," Theo replied. "Xander wasn't much of a hassle. But, I've been noticing that...as it gets later in the day, he starts acting...strange." Theo eyed Xander where he was curled up in a blanket given to him by Damon. His expression was fixed in a sort of vexed stare, yet his eyes focused in on nothing in particular. It almost looked as though he were in a trance.

"Strange?" Jacinth inquired.

"Yeah, I mean-" Theo stopped. Xander had gotten up from the ground and was now approaching them.

"I can't get something off my mind," he confessed in hushed tones.

"What is it?" Theo asked.

Xander took a moment, deep in thought.

"My- my father," he began hesitantly. "He gets violent when he's drunk, and...I mean, I was always pretty good at avoiding him. But my little sister..." Xander stared at the ground.

"What about your mother?" Theo asked, quietly.

"My mother," he spat, "is senseless! She won't hear a word against my father!" Theo thought he spoke maturely for his age as he stood with fists clenched, shaking in anger.

"So..." Jacinth spoke up, not completely understanding the situation. "What do you want us to do?"

Xander's face crumpled, tears beginning to stream from his eyes. He glared even harder at the ground. "I don't know." He shook his head. "I just can't stop worrying for my sister."

Xander looked up, his brown eyes willing them to believe. "She needs me," he said.

Theo shifted uncomfortably. What can we really do? It's still important that he stays with us. Even if he was loyal and didn't say anything about us on his own accord, the guards that made him come into our territory in the first place could probably find him again. The guards, or his parents...someone could force him to speak up.

Looking to Jacinth, Theo saw that she didn't seem to know what to do either.

The sun was completely down now, leaving Theo's night vision to take over.

"I can't just abandon her!" She was startled as Xander started yelling. "She'd be better off even here, just so long as she's with me! Please!"

"Hey, hey alright!" Jacinth tried to calm him down, alarmed. Theo stared at her.

"We're taking in his little sister, now?" Theo asked, stunned.

Jacinth met her eyes helplessly. "Wouldn't it be wrong not to?" she asked. "It's torturous, keeping him here, making him worry like this."

Theo couldn't be sure, until she recalled the drowned hatchling she had fished out of the creek.

No one was there to help it, she remembered. But maybe this is a new chance to protect the youth that needs us.

Chapter 18

Theo's mind was racing as she and Jacinth crouched just within the tree line at the edge of a town. They'd taken the short route into Wystil, through the Archway.

The houses in front of them were well spaced out. They had their eyes locked onto one house about a hundred yards away, to where Xander had stealthily approached, slinking closely to the ground almost like a dragon.

What if he tricked us? she thought. Maybe his parents aren't as bad as he said and we just led him home, never to see him come back out again. Then she recalled how nervous he had been right before he'd left them for his sister. She could tell he was hesitant, but he had made himself go anyway. His trust seemed placed in them, not where he was preparing to go. He'll come back, she told herself.

The sky was patted down with dreary grey clouds. By every second, the light grew dimmer with the dusk. Time was dragging on and Theo was starting to believe that the boy had just proved the two of them to be fools.

"Can barely see through this drizzle," Jacinth muttered, eyes narrowing.

"Maybe he's not coming back," Theo spoke her worries, but just then Jacinth hushed her, spotting something through the rain.

Theo looked and saw Xander's figure leading a smaller person by the hand. As they got closer, Theo could see that the girl was significantly shorter than him, clothed in a simple commoner's dress. Xander had to walk slowly for her, as she was very timid with her footing. At first, Theo was relieved. Then she began questioning herself. Is this a terrible idea? Isn't she better off with a roof over her head?

"Where are we going, Greyson? I can barely see." The girl's voice was small, fitting for her size.

"Hey, I asked you to call me Xander, remember?" Xander responded kindly. "Can you say that, Damara? Xander?"

"Xander."

"Good!" he praised her and Theo got confused.

His name is Greyson? Why does he call himself Xander?

The two children finally reached the woods, a little ways to the left of Theo. The dark allowed Theo and Jacinth to blend in with the trees.

"Xander?"

"Yeah, Little Sapling?"

"What are we doing?"

"I'm showing you my friends," he answered, hugging her against his side.

"Who?" Damara sounded like an inquisitive owl.

"You'll see," Xander squinted into the forest, trying to scan the trees. "Jacinth? River? Hello?"

Theo's mind was racing, trying to think of how they were going to reveal themselves without scaring the little girl. But before she could think of something, Jacinth stepped delicately out into view.

Damara squeaked, gripping tightly onto Xander's tunic as she tried to hide behind him.

"Don't worry, Damara," Xander laughed lightly. "This is my friend, Jacinth."

Damara peeked out, whether scared or shy, Theo couldn't tell. Still, Theo did not come out from hiding until Xander asked her to. When he did, she reluctantly edged to where she could be seen, expecting the little girl to hide behind her brother again. She didn't.

Just as cautiously as the two dragons had revealed themselves, Damara again took her place beside Xander.

"The blue-grey one is River." Xander smiled, taking her hand again. "Would you like to say hello?"

Theo saw her blue eyes gazing up at her and Jacinth. Light brown hair clung to her face, dampened by the soft shower of rain. Her little mouth was opened slightly in wonder.

"Here, come on," Xander pressed, softly pulling her closer. She stayed in place at first, then skipped a step forward to stay right next to him. "There you go. See, Damara?"

He bent to pick up a torch Damon had given him. It was still damp from passing under the Archway, but lit fine when Theo flicked a small flame onto it for him. Damara goggled in amazement.

"You breathe fire!" Damara whispered, enraptured by the torch that now cast a steady globe of light around them.

"Almost all of the dragons do," Xander fascinated her. "Would you like to meet them?"

Damara took a moment, then nodded.

"Good," Jacinth said, catching the little girl's attention as she spoke. "We should be leaving now."

As quickly as they could, with the little girl trying to keep up, they retreated into the trees where they would be concealed from the town's view.

Theo observed how Xander seemed to have suddenly transformed, helping little Damara along and lighting the way with his torch held high. He didn't seem so small and helpless now, like he was the day they caught him.

They moved through the forest until they reached Iron Creek, where the Archway was. There, they stopped to wait for the morning.

"Why do you call yourself Xander if your name is Greyson?" Theo asked the boy.

He scuffed the ground with his feet and shrugged his shoulders before answering, "I want to be known as something other than Grey's son."

"Oh," Theo responded. "So, your father...Did he give you any trouble?"

"He was passed out on the floor when I snuck in." Xander shook his head. "I don't know where my mother was, but she wasn't inside. Damara was asleep so I got her up and told her to be quiet. Then I grabbed these things on our way out." He took blankets out from a bag he'd been wearing over his shoulder.

"You've been very brave today," Theo told him. "I'm proud of you."

Perhaps it was an odd thing to say to him, considering how short of a time she'd known him. But he seemed to appreciate it anyway, and she wondered if anyone had ever told him that before.

Like a puppy, Damara cuddled her brother for warmth while Theo and Jacinth traded off, sheltering the two children with open wings.

. . .

In the morning, they pondered as to how they were going to get Damara across the water. It had stopped raining just as the sun rose, brightening the overcast. The creek moved sluggishly, but there was no way the little girl could wade in it.

Eventually they decided the best way to do it was to have Damara cling around Jacinth's neck, while standing on her shoulders. Theo would carry Xander's bag in her jaws by the strap so the boy could go without the extra weight.

Damara squealed in delight, trying to lift her legs out of the water as she held tightly to Jacinth. When they got to where everyone had to pass under, Jacinth asked her if she was ready.

"Yes!" Damara giggled, making her grip on Jacinth even tighter.

"Hold your breath!" Xander reminded her as Jacinth and Damara disappeared underwater. He waited anxiously for a second and then dove under, yelling, "I'll go next!"

When Theo joined them all, Damara wasn't laughing anymore. She hung onto Jacinth like a miserable kitten, eyes blank.

"We have to get her warmed up. Now," Theo said urgently and they hurried along, reaching the bank. Xander helped his sister get dry in front of Jacinth's fire.

Damara began cheering up again, tittering when Theo flicked her tongue to make sparks rain down on Jacinth, who growled jokingly. Xander struggled to lift the bag weighed down with sopping wet blankets, emptying it out and hanging them to dry.

"Little girl!" Aspen piped joyfully, joining them. She met Damara, then rushed to bring Damon over. The Wizard escaped almost immediately after a mere "hello."

During Damon's extremely short welcoming, however, Theo couldn't help but notice two new beetles on him, both different from each other and the last. This left Theo confused, but she supposed there were other matters worth pondering.

Damara caught on to everyone's names right away. She got up and ran around squealing, "Jacinth! River! Aspen!" Xander sat back watching her lovingly.

Perhaps we made the right choice, after all! Theo thought, smiling at Jacinth.

Then Wycker showed up. "Who is this?" he snapped and Damara stumbled back in fright.

Xander caught her from behind, sitting her down in his lap. He eyed Wycker suspiciously, his arms wrapped protectively around his sister.

Jacinth stood up, facing off Wycker. "This is Damara," she responded. "She's Xander's little sister and she has just as much right to be here as anyone else."

Wycker bore his eyes at her. "Welcoming more humans into our land is a dangerous risk," he said.

"Oh, so it's our land now?" Jacinth questioned. "Are you suggesting that we've claimed territory for ourselves? Feeling a little possessive, Wycker?" She glared at him challengingly.

Wycker did not budge. "I will not withhold something from any rogue or Colonist. But for anything below dragons, a line must be drawn."

"Dragons are not superior to humans!" Jacinth blared at him. In her anger, she was seemingly unable to stop flames, white-hot with fury, from flashing out in front of his face.

Damara squirmed in Xander's embrace and he hugged her closer. Then, as though something changed his mind, he got up, leaving his sister with Theo and Aspen. They watched, stunned as he went to stand beside Jacinth.

"Jacinth, don't bother," he said, tugging on her wing for attention. "I know humans like him and there's no changing their minds."

Wycker stiffened, but kept his jaws locked tightly shut.

"Xander!" Damara called, getting up before Theo could stop her. The little girl ran to her brother, who met her with open arms and kissed her on the forehead.

"Go complain to Adder if you must," Jacinth hissed at Wycker. "Hear what he has to advise. But this little girl is better off here and I'm not about to deny her that safety."

Wycker shot them all one last glare and turned to stalk away.
Chapter 19

Over the months, when the next new hatchlings appeared and grew up to be frisks, Damara got to know many of the dragons at Camp. She liked to play with the frisks, and Xander always worried aloud if they were careful not to hurt her. Of course, she got the occasional scratch or scrape. But being around the dragons was toughening her, and she always got up from her falls, happy as though nothing had happened.

Xander got comfortable with leaving Damara at times. Just so long as Jacinth, Theo, or someone else he trusted was there, he decided it was fine for him to go off on his own.

One day, Theo was surprised to stumble across Damara at the creek running and laughing with nary a piece of clothing on.

"Damara, please dress yourself before your brother sees you," Jacinth begged her.

"I don't want to wear clothes!" Damara yelled out joyfully. "I want to be just like you!"

"But you're a human- Please, Damara! Xander wouldn't like you going around like this." Jacinth spotted Theo. "River!" she breathed in relief. "You have to help me."

Theo shook her head helplessly. "Sorry," she said. "I don't know what to do."

"Damara!" Xander's voice shouted and the girl stopped in her tracks. He trudged out of the trees over to her dress, picked it up and handed it to her. "Put it on," he said sternly. Theo noted how mature he sounded.

"I don't want to," Damara complained.

"Put it on or I'll put it on for you."

Damara gave him a pouty look and started tugging it on over her head. "Why do I have to wear clothes?" she whined.

"Because you're a human. That's why I wear clothes, too."

Damara grumbled something, muffled by the dress hanging around her mouth.

"What was that?" Xander asked.

Her head popped up through the material and she stuck her arms through the sleeves. "I don't like being a human," she repeated loudly.

Theo held her breath, waiting to hear Xander's response. He took a while standing there, looking jarred as though he wasn't sure of what to think. "Well, that's too bad," he said finally. Then, looking back at where he'd come from, he told her in softer tones, "I brought you something. Do you want to see it?"

Damara shrugged with a glum expression as though a gift didn't appeal to her.

Xander walked over to a tree and untied a piece of twine from its branches. Theo tried to see what was on the other end. He lifted out his arm to let whatever it was crawl up onto him and then he returned to Damara.

"It's a wyvern," he told her and she gaped in amazement at the small monigon. Its body was white with webbed wings and a long, thin tail. Its head was turned calmly towards her, like a perfect domestic pet.

Theo froze. That wyvern looks far too familiar. Like the one in the tree when I was a little girl...The one that talked to me...

"Oh!" Damara fascinated over it.

"Here," Xander said, bending his knees to more her height. "If you hold out your wrist it will climb onto you. Would you like that?"

Damara did as he said, giggling as the monigon hooked its tiny wing talons onto her sleeve, hoisting itself all the way. There, it curled itself up so it could fit on her thin little arm.

Xander smiled, their little quarrel now completely forgotten. "I think we can take this off now," he determined, using his fingers to untie the loose knot around its neck. The wyvern looked like it didn't care whether it was restrained or not.

"What do you want to call it?" Xander asked, stuffing the twine into his pocket.

Damara took her eyes away from the little animal on her sleeve. "She's supposed to name herself," she recited the dragons' belief, looking confused. "Didn't she already give herself a name?"

"Only the big dragons do that," Xander answered her. "This one, you have to name, because she's yours."

"Mine?" Damara questioned, looking back down, enraptured.

"Yeah, so what do you want to name her?"

Damara didn't answer. She seemed stuck in the decision.

"Well, you think about it," he said finally, patting her on the back. He left her to meet Jacinth and Theo.

"Where did you get that wyvern?" Theo asked him stiffly.

Xander shrugged. "I just found it," he replied. "I didn't even have to catch it. It just climbed onto me when I offered it my arm.

Theo eyed him suspiciously. "You didn't steal it, did you?"

Xander laughed. "Give it a rest," he said, but didn't answer her question. Instead, he turned to Jacinth. "You have to be firm with orders," he told her. "She may not want to wear clothes, but she needs to remember she's a person. I think a pet might help her with that."

"Look, Xander!" Damara cheered and he turned around. "She flew up into that tree!" The little girl beamed up at where the wyvern had perched.

Xander followed her gaze and sighed. "I guess that didn't last long," he concluded, dissatisfied. "I should have known she doesn't understand how to handle a pet." He walked unhappily away.

Theo sympathized with him as he went. "Poor, Xander. He's really trying to look after his sister."

"Maybe it's best for her to lose some of her human characteristics," Jacinth suggested. "It's not a very attractive quality to want to own everything."

Theo thought about it for a while. "I suppose," she agreed finally.

"Why don't we go visit Camp?" Jacinth asked the children. "Sky and Lichen might be there."

"Sky!" Damara chirped, jumping up and down. "Lichen!"

"You like that idea, Damara?" Xander asked, smiling. "Alright, then."

At Camp they did not find Sky or Lichen, but Xander's interest was caught by the firesap plants. Theo saw him frown and reach his hand into the tangle of branches.

"Careful," Theo warned him on instinct. It took her a moment to realize what she was warning him about, though. Having been in a scaled body for so long, she'd forgotten what it was like to have nothing but delicate skin to protect soft human flesh. Those thorns could easily draw blood, she assessed, observing the various, crooked thorns aligning the woody branches.

"I am," Xander excused. He twisted his arm precariously, trying to slip his hand farther in until he reached what he wanted. He made a face as he went about extracting whatever it was from the plants.

At last, his hand was free and Theo could see what was pinched between his fingers- a firesap flower.

Theo, too, became fascinated with it, for its color was that of which she'd never seen before. She didn't even know how to describe it. It could not be compared to any other color.

"How weird," Xander muddled. "I've never seen a black flower before."

"Black?" Theo puzzled. "It's not black, it's...I'm not quite sure what color it is. Jacinth?" Theo asked, hoping to get her friend's opinion, but she had left them to talk to Adder.

"It's black," Xander insisted. "Look." He bent to pick up a nearby crow's feather. "This is black. Can you not see that it's black?"

"I can see it," Theo replied, looking back and forth from the feather to the flower. "They are nothing alike!"

Xander threw his hands up in frustration. "Damara," he said, turning towards his sister with a thoughtful expression. "What color is this flower?"

Damara lifted her curious eyes from a snail to his hand. "Black," she answered.

"See?" Xander smiled, sitting to pull his little sister into his lap. "Damara says it is black, so it's black."

"No..." Theo opposed. "Oriole!" she called the dragon nearest to them.

"What is it?" Oriole asked happily, approaching them.

"Tell me the color of that flower."

Oriole looked at the blossom that Xander held up. "It's the color of the firesap flower," she replied, seemingly puzzled as to why Theo would ask.

"Does it match this?" Xander pressed, bringing the crow's feather close to the flower.

"No." Oriole shook her head. "As far as I know, the only other thing that matches the firesap flower is the firesap fruit pit."

"Really?" Theo was amazed.

"It's black, I tell you!" Xander argued, then stopped, his eyes focusing in on the flower. Gently, he lifted a single finger to the flower's petals.

Theo took a closer look, interested in what had captured his attention so suddenly.

From the cup of the flower emerged the tiniest monigon Theo had ever seen. No larger than a honeybee, the creature had a tail curled like a tendril and six spindly legs. Its dainty wings, when opened, had a unique, almost rounded shape to them. Its whole body was black with stripes of yellow ringing around its middle.

"Damara," Xander spoke in a hushed voice, as though afraid he might blow the monigon away. "Look at this."

But Damara was already staring at the creature, entranced.

"Fairy dragon," she peeped.

"A fairy dragon?" Xander repeated after her. "I've never heard of that before."

Theo could see him trying to hold his hands perfectly still as the monigon crawled onto his fingertip. Its legs, she noted, moved in a very erratic yet whimsical fashion.

"It's amazing," Theo whispered. How could an animal that small even eat the firesap fruit? Could it be that the nectar of the flower has the same effect?

She turned her head to examine the firesap plants. Are there more of these little monigons?

At first glance, there appeared to be none. But as she focused in on certain areas, behind thorns and inside flowers, she found that there were dozens upon dozens of them. How have I never noticed these before?

Theo began to recognize similarities between some of them, such as wing shape and coloration.

She looked back at Xander as he began laughing, holding his hand out with the monigon still sticking to his finger. It was circling about, its long skinny tongue darting in and out of its mouth as it tasted Xander's skin.

"It tickles!" Xander's voice wavered with laughter. "Here, Damara. See how it feels."

Delicately, he brushed the creature into the small palm of Damara's hand. It tumbled over a little before splaying its legs and kicking outward to get up off its back. Damara giggled, bringing her hand close to her face to get a better look.

Finally upright, the bee-like monigon braced itself, beating its wings at an impressive rate. It buzzed away with Damara staring wondrously after it.

"Aw," Xander said, disappointed. "Did it lick you at all?"

Damara shook her head, clasping her hands together and placing them in her lap.

"That's alright," Xander told her. "I'll just catch you another one!"

Gently, he moved her off of him and stood up, peering into the firesap plants for more monigons. Just above his head, one not as small as the last, but small all the same, came whirring and hovered in the air. Its wings moved so fast Theo could barely see them. Backwards, forwards, and side to side, it danced while peering into the tangle of plants.

No doubt that wyvern used to be a hummingbird, Theo observed with admiration, recognizing its perfectly imitated flight pattern.

Damara had joined Xander in his search for more monigons.

"Careful of the thorns," he reminded her, watching as she reached into the branches.

Theo smiled at the two children with Oriole standing beside her.

"Have you heard of the Golden Dragon?" Oriole asked out of the blue.

"I have," Theo replied.

"I hear she's so attractive, deer will come to her and let her kill them without even trying to run."

Theo snorted. "That's ridiculous."

"It's true!" Oriole insisted. "Lynx told me."

"Did he now?" Theo shook her head in amusement. Who would believe that freak? "Did he tell you he saw it with his own eyes?"

"Yes...Or maybe not..." Oriole scrunched her nose, obviously trying to remember. Theo waited patiently, or rather absentmindedly, watching as Xander placed tiny monigons in Damara's hair. The girl shrilled delightedly.

"I guess not," Oriole sighed eventually.

"Yeah, I didn't think so," Theo murmured, distracted. Xander and Damara were bringing back memories of her and Chadwick when they were young. I miss Chadwick, she thought sadly.

Theo eyed the two children once more. Always be there for each other, she willed them silently. It's hard to know just how much someone means to you until you lose them.
Chapter 20

Theo was standing with Xander as they watched Damara hold a piece of meat up to the sky.

"What do you know," Xander mentioned as a white wyvern swooped down and gracefully snatched the offering up in its talons. "That animal's still with her. I guess it has more loyalty than I thought."

Theo scowled at the wyvern, seeing its red eyes catch the glint of the warm sun as it banked left.

"What's the matter?" Xander asked her.

Theo shook her head. "I just don't like that thing."

Xander laughed. "Why?" He held his arm up, offering it as a perch. "Ow!" He winced when the wyvern landed on his sleeve, its miniscule talons piercing through the thin material.

"Ow!" the creature mimicked.

Xander opened his eyes in confusion. He and Theo looked at the small reptile, perplexed.

"Ow!" it repeated again, the perfect imitation of Xander.

"Hey!" Xander laughed. "Damara, come look at this!"

"Hey! Damara, come look at this!" The wyvern parroted him just as well as the first time.

Theo was astounded. The words Go away! cycled through her head, taking her back to her childhood and the tree she had climbed.

All along...she thought. All along, I was convinced that it had talked to me, when really it was just imitating me!

Damara and Xander crowded the creature, trying to get it to say different things when, suddenly, Theo heard a mournful cry in the distance. She whipped her head around.

"I have to leave," she told Xander and sprung for the direction of the distressed.

She found herself deep within the forest, surrounded by scraggly clusters of undergrowth and the roots of greyish brown tree trunks. Dust drifted lazily through the light cast from behind the summer canopy far up above.

Theo assumed that it was impossible to walk silently over the layers of dead leaves and fallen twigs. Well, impossible for me, she corrected herself. No doubt Wycker would make it look easy.

She brought herself to a halt, gathering her senses to wait and listen. Where's the dragon I heard? Everything was luminously dappled. Stretching across the ground and running up the trees, the pattern was shed in all directions. Theo's eyes locked onto movement, but it was only a bird flying past.

Then she heard the sounds of deep, contorted breathing spaced out between sobs. She tried her best to draw closer as quietly as she could.

A female dragon huddled over a burrow of eggs.

"What's wrong?" Theo asked, coming to the adult's side. She recognized her as one of Sky's friends.

"I've laid a clutch of stones!" the female wailed.

Clutch of stones? Theo had never heard of the term, but she inferred that it meant eggs that wouldn't hatch. This must be what's been happening to each new generation, she realized, recalling Jacinth's words 'with so many clutches ending up as stones, we already face possible extinction.'

"I'm so sorry," Theo commiserated. "Surely your next clutch will be just as healthy as the past ones."

The dragon bawled, shaking her head. "No! Once a dragon lays a clutch of stones she never delivers another healthy clutch ever again!" She buried her head into the dirt moaning, "Oh, it's happening to me. It can't be. It can't be..."

Theo felt for her, but she couldn't think of any way dragons comforted one another physically. The most she could do was stand with her, until at last the tormented dragon lifted her head up from the ground.

"Well," Sky's friend inhaled shakily, "I suppose I should bury them now."

Dolefully, she placed a paw on top of the burrow, containing a number of green and blue eggs. She put her weight down on it, collapsing its summit. Dirt gave way, spilling in and around the eggs until the whole clutch was buried. The adult stood for a while longer, staring at the burial spot with an empty, dismal expression.

I should leave now, Theo thought. On instinct, she nestled the dragon with her head as a consoling goodbye and left.

. . .

Theo traveled the forest for what seemed like a long time, but felt not at all lost. She could sense the direction of the creek, the mountains, the ocean. It was like she had a map always developing inside her head as she visited new areas.

Is this how the hunting wyvern finds its way back to its owner? she wondered. At the moment, she could feel herself drawing near the creek and soon the tell-tale sound of splashing water came within earshot.

She emerged from the trees to see a section of the stream dammed up to form a natural pool. A strikingly familiar dragon played in the water, pouncing and spreading her yellow wings in the spray. Theo realized it was the young dragon that she had declined to mentor.

"Greetings, Theora. Or do you prefer I call you River?" Adder startled her when he spoke. He was standing nearby.

"Hello," she said, looking back at the pupil, who faltered with her footing and fell awkwardly under.

"Recognize her?" Adder asked, following Theo's gaze as the unusually small dragon popped back up again, looking around to check if anyone had seen her fall. Her eyes centered in on Theo.

"She wanted to be my pupil last winter," Theo murmured thoughtfully.

"More like she was interested in you when she noticed how different you were from the rest," Adder corrected her. "I readily took her in as my own pupil, impressed by how observant she was. She's a lot like how Wycker was at that age," Adder recalled, chuckling as he added, "though clumsier."

Theo looked at him, "You mentored Wycker?" It makes sense, she told herself, but was still surprised.

"I did." Adder nodded, then smiled. "He's so solitary- you probably thought he'd mentored himself, no?"

"Something like that," Theo laughed, but quieted as she confessed, "I don't understand why he hates me so much."

"Yes," Adder sighed. "He is a hard dragon to appeal to."

"Yeah, but I feel like he doesn't even give me a chance! It's like he hates me just because I was a human. But, even then..." Theo recalled, "You used to be a human, and you seem to be his favorite."

"I understand what you mean," Adder concurred.

"He told me that I wasn't a dragon, that I was still human at the core," Theo brought back to mind. "I think that's why he dislikes me so much. I must remind him too much of a human. He must have some deep rooted hatred towards them."

"Keep in mind, he doesn't know what it's like to be one," Adder reminded her. "We are all human, in some ways. It just takes the more accepting to realize that."

I suppose so, Theo thought, noticing one of Egret's drawings of a tree on the ground. Every dragon I've met seems to have some kind of similarity to humans I've known.

Am I still human on the inside? Do I still want to turn back, if Damon finds a solution?

I just don't know...
Chapter 21

Theo looked out into the field of green. Little yellow flowers hid among the blades. The breeze ruffled the grass, flattening and lifting it again in a sort of rippling effect. Hungrily, she scanned the meadow, having heard that deer visited it frequently. No sight of them.

"Are you hunting, too?" a female dragon asked happily, strolling towards her.

"Yeah." Theo only glanced to see that it was Oriole. She quickly returned her eyes to the field, not wanting to miss any game that might venture through.

There was a pause as Oriole tested for another topic. "So..." she drawled. "See anything?"

Theo irritably gave up her search. "No," she said, trying to be patient as she turned to Oriole.

"Oh!" the dragon exclaimed, visibly reading the annoyance on Theo's face. "I'm not bothering you, am I?"

Theo opened her mouth to lie and say no, when she saw something in the sky. A flying dragon hung in the air, head down as he swept the land below. Oriole followed Theo's gaze.

"Whoa," Oriole awed. "Who is that?"

"I don't know," Theo muddled. "What is he doing? I usually only see dragons fly near the coast."

"Maybe he's going to tackle his prey in midflight!" Oriole said ecstatically.

Theo looked at her. "Are there dragons that do that?" she marveled.

"I've only heard of it," Oriole replied, blithe to have captured Theo's interest. "But I've heard that it's amazing."

"A stunt like that must take a considerable amount of skill," Theo guessed, seeing the dragon bank towards something.

Oriole gasped. "He sees something!" she stated the obvious.

"What is he doing?" Theo was baffled, watching the dragon head straight into a tree. At the last moment, he opened his wings wide to catch the air, talons outstretched like a hawk to snatch something from the branches. Theo tried to peer past his beating wings to see what he was after. The glimpse was fleeting, but Theo knew for sure what she saw- a hatchling trying desperately to hold onto its branch as the adult dragon grasped it around the middle and worked to pull it away.

"Do you see this?!" Theo cried. "He's after a hatchling!"

The dragon succeeded as the little one's clinch gave way. Extracting the hatchling from the tree, he flew for the mountains, his squirming captive clutched in his talons.

"We have to stop him!" Theo shrilled. "Come on!" She started forward, but slowed as she noticed Oriole staying put. "What are you waiting for?!"

Oriole stared in a scared daze. "We don't have the authority..." she uttered.

"We don't have the authority to do what? Keep a dragon from taking a poor, helpless hatchling?"

Oriole didn't move. "It's not for us to say, what another dragon should and should not do..." she droned, paralyzed with fear.

"Forget it, then!" Theo snapped. "I'll go after him by myself!" She spotted the stranger growing distant and hurdled after him, angry at Oriole for being so afraid to do what was just.

She was sprinting as fast as she could, yet the dragon was losing her still. Gritting her teeth as she stared up at him, she didn't even realize at first when she began lifting off. She had her wings spread out, riding the wind as she escalated her speed. When she noticed her bounds spacing out and turning into glides, she gathered her haunches and thrust herself upward, thrashing her wings to ascend as high as she could.

She kept her fierce stare sealed on her target, not once looking down to see the ground below seemingly condense. She refused to think about the fact that she was flying.

She was gaining on the dragon now as they neared the mountains. Their shadows raced up the mountain side and they passed the first peak. Theo was so close that she could see the hatchling, having given up on its toil to escape, staring about. It blinked at her, just as its abductor spun around to encounter Theo.

It happened so quickly, Theo barely had time to react as the dragon inhaled and blasted fire directly at her face. She pulled short, blinded by light and heat. Trying to recollect herself, she faltered and went plunging out of the air. She blinked away the smoky blur just before she collided into a plateau, jerking open her wings to break her fall.

She landed hard, legs racing to run it off. By the time she had recovered enough to look up at her assailant, he had disappeared behind another peak.

Theo swore furiously, flashing fire into the thin mountain air. She folded her wings in, knowing she'd been outdone. That was my only chance! she thought, doubting her ability to take flight again.

"Hey."

Theo spun around to see a female scrutinizing her. She was pretty- the ruddy color of a sleek river rock. Behind her stood a larger, flat black male with light grey wings and plating. Both had indistinguishable expressions.

Rogues? Theo was uneasy, recalling all the gruesome things she'd heard about such dragons.

Idly, the female turned her head to look at the mountain peak Theo's enemy had just passed. "You following him?" she asked.

Instead of answering, Theo questioned, "Do you know him?"

"His name's Knox," Theo's mysterious company responded.

Theo made a hurried decision. Time was running out and already she might be too late. "He's snatched a hatchling," she told them.

The dragon replied, unfazed, "That's because Laurel, you know- the Golden Dragon, orders her followers to take them."

"They can't do that," Theo stressed.

"Do you really think that?" the dragon jumped on her declaration. "Aren't you a Colonist? Afraid to confront another dragon because you don't have the authority to?" She stared at Theo intensely, as though testing her.

Theo met her eyes. "I don't think that way," she answered firmly.

The dragon relaxed. "Good," she approved. "It's refreshing to know at least one Colonist has some sense. I'm Liah." Jerking her head in gesture to her companion, she added, "And this is my mate, Dare."

"River," Theo returned introductions.

Liah looked hard at Theo. "Dare and I aren't standing for this madness that snake, Laurel, called for. We're going to stop her."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Theo asked carefully.

Maybe I can help.
Chapter 22

Liah and Dare led the way, as Theo had never ventured into the mountains before. Her guides knew the area well, taking the easiest route along ridges and valleys to the place where the Golden Dragon lived. Theo did not oppose their decision to travel on foot, so as to decrease their chances of being seen.

Liah informed her of Laurel's servants on the way. Snare, Falkon, Knox, and Torrance- her guards, all had stayed faithful to the duchess during the time everything had changed for the Cragerians.

"They've been capturing young dragons for a while now," Liah said, eyes narrowed on the glen ahead. "Mostly hatchlings and frisks. Once they get about late pupil age, they're too big for what Laurel uses them for."

"What does Laurel use them for?" Theo asked.

"They build up her hoard," Liah growled disgustedly. "Her guards take turns flying the little ones over the mountain range to the rich houses in Wystil. The adolescents have to sneak in and bring out anything valuable. If they can't find anything then- Well, let's just say what happens then depends on how the guards are feeling."

"What happens when the little ones get too big?" Theo forced herself to ask.

"Right around their striker age, Laurel has her guards kill them, preferably without the younger ones knowing," Liah replied simply.

Theo fell quiet. That's awful.

She hadn't heard Dare utter a single word yet. He just walked at the head, surveying the upward slopes and dips below. Occasionally, he looked back to his mate, and she smiled fondly in response. But besides those times, Liah's face was set with a sharp, focused stare at whatever was before her. Theo noted that she paid strong attention to only one thing at a time, while Dare took in the sum of everything else, checking that all was well. The two of them made a compatible pair.

"So with a name like Liah," Theo brought up, "you must be a Cragerian." The thought was strange to Theo. Liah seems younger than that.

"No," Liah replied curtly and Dare cast a glance back at them. "My mentor was a Cragerian. Her human name was Liah, but she later changed it."

"You two were very close, then?" Theo asked. "That's why you named yourself after her?"

"Yes," Liah answered, almost darkly.

Why is she being so guarded? Theo wondered.

"How do you know where the Golden Dragon lives?" Theo changed the subject.

"She stole me as a frisk. She just didn't realize I was precocious enough to have already taken on a mentor."

"You were a pupil at frisk age?" Theo puzzled. "I didn't know that was even heard of."

"I think I'm the first," Liah clarified. "Dare and I shared the same mentor. He was older than me, but we were great together."

"So I would assume," Theo said. "What happened when the Golden Dragon took you?"

"I was sent on one thieving trip before our mentor found me. The guards were just about to kill some striker named Wolfe when our mentor came flying in. She fought just enough to get me and run out again, but I think Wolfe was able to make her own escape with the distraction."

Wolfe! Theo was amazed. That must be why she's so insane...She was almost killed!

"Your mentor sounds wonderful," Theo piped.

"She was," Liah responded, but Theo noticed that she was tense again. "Laurel never forgets those who cross her, though. I was almost a striker when two of her guards came and killed her. Dare and I should've been there." Liah spat sparks into the brush.

"I accepted the firesap right after I found out," Liah went on. "I swear I would have slaughtered her and her guards right then, but Dare stopped me," she ended on a bitter note.

Theo said nothing, gathering that the subject was well beyond her business.

Their journey continued on, until, "We're here," Liah hushed, pulling up beside her mate. The three of them stood on a ledge overlooking a sizable pit in the mounts. A tiny spring bubbled up to form a shallow pool near the foot of the mountain they were on. At the farthest corner of the area rose a gleaming pile of treasures, from silver goblets to pearl necklaces, from gold coins to ivory figurines. Theo swallowed, taken away by the sight of it.

All around, young dragons huddled frightfully in the presence of two over watching males. The guards were intimidatingly large, no doubt larger than Theo and her allies. Their bodies were trimmed down to the solid bulk of muscle.

"Snare and Knox," Liah identified them quietly. "Looks like Torrance and Falkon are out on a gathering. Or they could be hunting for more hatchlings."

"Is the Golden Dragon here?" Theo whispered.

"The hoard," Liah answered and Theo studied the treasure pile harder.

She almost gasped as she saw the dragon wrapped around the pile of precious metals. It was the Golden Dragon, well-named, for her body looked as though it were made of solid gold. Her eyes were like gemstones.

Just then, another adult came flying in, a small dragon in his claws. He dropped it not far from the ground and the little one cowered childishly, a necklace hanging jangling from his mouth.

"Come, darling," Laurel purred from her hoard. "Show Your Highness what you have."

The dragon ducked his head and crawled forward, opening his small jaws to let the jewelry become a part of the pile. Theo thought he looked the size of a frisk, but his behavior did not reflect that of one. All the spirit and energy of a frisk seemed to have been taken from him. He reminded her of the drooping flame of a dying candle, sad and waning.

"Good." The Golden Dragon smiled down at him. "Your contribution satisfies me. You are dismissed."

The youngling scampered away to a dark space between a rock and shrub. When he found another tiny dragon already there, he squabbled with it, trying desperately to fit himself inside.

The newly arrived adult had landed and now reported to Laurel. Theo couldn't catch all the words he said, but was sure she heard him finish with, "He did well."

Theo's scales crawled in repulsion of it all. These Cragerians deserve to die!

"So that's Falkon," Liah murmured. "Where's Torrance?"

"There," Dare spoke for the first time. Over another peak, a fourth male appeared. He was followed by a rather reluctant female, of striker age.

Torrance looked infuriated, alighting beside Falkon and turning his head to snap at the female, "Get over here!"

The striker landed, trembling. Some of the older slave dragons watched with large eyes as she crept to the foot of the hoard.

"Fern was spotted!" Torrance boomed and the female shrunk to the ground. "She is no longer fit for this task!" He whirled around to face Fern. "What do you have to show for your unwieldy performance? Where are the coins?"

"I-" Fern choked, "I lost them..."

Torrance stiffened. There was a pause in which nothing moved. The little dragon that had brought the necklace peeked out from his hiding place, eyes wide in terror of the loud voice that still echoed around the mountain range.

"Kill her," the Golden Dragon said softly and Fern cried out. She tried to flee but Falkon leapt on top of her. He and Torrance wrestled her behind Laurel's pile of prizes. Theo heard another scream.

"Stop!" Theo yelled, jumping to her feet.

Liah cursed as Snare and Knox's sharp gaze snapped onto Theo. Like condors, they gathered themselves, beating their wings in huge powerful strokes to come flying towards them. But right as the two guards were upon them, Liah and Dare sprung up, each catching onto their own opponent like cats attacking an eagle.

As the guards struggled in surprise to shake their assailants off, Theo took the opportunity to scrabble down the rocky slope and come to the striker's aid.

The Golden Dragon lifted her head to stare at Theo running past. But Theo was halted when she reached the bend. Before her, Torrance had his jaws locked onto Fern's throat, who gasped through her collapsed windpipe, desperate for air.

Falkon stood over her. Behind them, dozens of chalk white skeletons scattered the space. Dry spines twisted morbidly upwards, stabilized by cracked rib cages. Hollow skulls gloomed at nothing but the bones staked in the ground. The sight was so horrifying that Theo almost missed her chance to react before Falkon was on top of her.

Instinctively, she flew upwards when he leapt for her. He followed her in her climb for the sky, gaining on her. Theo's heart pounded; she could feel each beat in her wings. She saw that Falkon was close to catching her and she dropped suddenly in hopes to evade him- but failed and he caught her.

Mightily, Falkon gripped her around the middle and plunged back down to earth with her underneath to break his fall.

Terrified as they plummeted, Theo scratched at him, but it was no use- her claws only slipped across his smooth plates, catching no flesh to tear.

Just as she was about to be crushed beneath him, she twisted, wrenching herself out of his grip and switching places. Given no time to respond, Falkon was swung with great force into a fence of jagged bones that impaled him through the chest.

Shakily, Theo pushed herself away from the red, splintered bones that stuck up from his back. He had died instantly.

Torrance, having just witnessed the brutal death of his ally, now cursed, stepping over Fern's body to advance on Theo.

Theo, gasping for breath, scrambled away from him, out to where she could see her companions.

Liah was still up on the slope, with both forelegs pinning Snare as she blasted endless fire into his face.

Dare had reached the bottom of the grounds, darting around Knox with erratic attacks of tooth and claw. Knox's eyes rolled as he spun around repeatedly, trying to keep up with Dare's unpredictable, patternless strategy.

Right as Theo had gathered her allies' positions, Torrance knocked her down from behind. His blows were heavy and they left Theo panting. She tried desperately to crawl away, talons clutching at loose earth, but Torrance flipped her onto her back. She cried out as her wing bent the wrong way underneath her. The pain only increased when he planted his two front feet on her chest. Then, looking terribly thoughtful as he took the feeble fight out of her, he replaced his claws onto her throat and let the pressure mount.

Theo wheezed. I'll die...

Suddenly, he was knocked off of her.

Barely able to turn her head, she saw Liah taking him on directly, providing Dare no opening to jump in and help. Theo couldn't watch as Liah scraped Torrance's eyes out of his sockets, finishing him off by burrowing her talons deep into his head.

"River?" Dare was there, standing over her where she lay.

"Fern," Theo gasped, throwing herself over onto her feet, though her wing screamed in protest. She limped laboriously back to the graveyard behind the hoard, not thinking to look up to see if the Golden Dragon was still there.

Theo retched at the sight of the poor striker. Blood drained from her mangled, lacerated neck- she'd probably been dead since the moment Torrance released his champ from her throat.

"Laurel!" Theo heard Liah yell and the Golden Dragon flinched from under layers of treasures, where she had buried herself during the fight.

From behind the hoard, Theo saw Liah pounce and drag the dragon, squirming, from her hiding place. Theo ventured closer to see what would follow next.

Laurel screamed unceasingly, though Liah had not yet harmed her.

Liah just looked down at the deposed ruler with queer satisfaction. Pure terror had won over the Golden Dragon and she now lay with no fight, expressing her fear through one scream promptly followed by another. The dragon's jaws were strained wide open.

Something about it all panicked Theo. Laurel's screams called out to her.

"Stop, please!" Theo begged, and ran to Liah, trying to push her away from the Golden Dragon.

"River," Liah warned, "don't shoulder me."

"No, no," Theo implored, though she couldn't understand why. It's the Golden Dragon! she told herself. She deserves to die, doesn't she? Still, she couldn't help but fear for Laurel.

Liah stared down at the writhing dragon. "You had it coming to you," she scorned and, with both sets of claws, broke Laurel's jaws apart- bottom from top.

"No!" Theo cried one last time as Liah ended things by bashing the back of Laurel's skull against hard rock.

Theo was paralyzed with trauma, but slowly her feelings for the Golden Dragon faded. Now Laurel was just the dead body of a cruel ruler who'd gotten what she deserved. Why was I fighting for her?

Theo had never witnessed anything so brutal. It opened her mind to the true power that a dragon had- teeth, claw, and fire all thrown into one flying, armored beast.

Caged inside her chest, her heart thrummed.

Liah stood over Laurel's gaping body for a long time. Dare paced nearby, always keeping within a whisper's reach of his mate.

Theo had grown a new fear for them. Not only for the two of them, not only for the rogues, but for all dragons. They were to be respected. Such passion and strength tied together made them incredibly dangerous.

It made Theo question herself of whether or not she truly fit among them.

Numerous hatchlings and pupils alike huddled in their own hiding places. Theo approached them each but they only drew farther into themselves, trembling whenever she came close. Nonetheless, she offered them a place in the Colony, not sure if they even understood her.

What will happen to all of them? she wondered. Some of them had their whole youth taken from them. Do they feel the freedom we just won for them? Will they take control of their own lives, or will they just wait for someone else to come and overtake them?

It bothered Theo that she was unable to provide them more comfort. But the art of consolation was not for a dragon to master. For anyone so built for independence, such a quality failed to come easily.

When it was clear that nothing was left for her to do at Laurel's hideaway, Theo found her way out. She wandered, willingly lost within the clefts of the mountains, all the while replaying the latest events in her head.

It was in the middle of these thoughts that Theo noticed a figure from between the branches of two scraggly pines. She drew in her breath and waited, helplessly paranoid after what she'd just been through.

The figure appeared to be crouching. Leaves rustled at its feet. Then the being stood and began to walk, perplexing Theo with its perfect balance on two feet.

It was coming closer and closer, reaching out to move the branches aside and reveal-

"Damon." Theo relaxed. Her brother was alone, one hand still holding the tree, the other full of small round things.

He looked slightly surprised. Theo had caught him with his hair windswept out of his face and he hurriedly shook his head to remedy it.

"Theora..." he murmured. "I've never seen you this far up the mountain."

He opened his hand to reveal the things cupped in his palm. "I was just gathering tygen berries," he explained. "They only grow at high elevation, but the magic inside of them is vital for a certain potion I have in mind."

He looked back up at her. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Theo shuddered. How much should I tell him?

"There was something I had to address," she replied, looking away.

From the corner of her eye, she could barely see Damon's face, but knew that he was peering at her.

There was silence between them for a moment. A hawk screeched. Then, "You don't look so well," Damon mentioned. "Were you in a fight?"

Theo slumped and turned her head back to face him.

"It was awful," she cried. Her legs began to tremble as she told him all that had happened. It felt as though she was reliving it.

When there was nothing else left for her to say, she finished awkwardly, waiting for him to do...something. Damon wasn't very good at showing it when he was listening, and Theo had to trust that she hadn't just wasted her breath. But she could see a contemplative expression hidden behind his overgrown bangs.

As he processed, he leaned into one of the pines- an uncomfortable position, Theo thought, but he looked bothered not at all. He shoved the handful of tygen berries into his satchel.

"So the Golden Dragon is dead now," he finally spoke. "Someone was able to resist her charm."

What? Theo wondered. "Had you...met her before?" she asked, perplexed.

"In a way," he answered, folding his arms against his chest. A beetle tried to crawl from a pine branch into his garments, but got knocked off. "Not long after I ran away and passed through the Archway, I found the firesap fruit. I felt its lure, but instead of giving in and eating it, I decided to experiment with it. By a precise and complicated process I discovered through trial and error, I managed to isolate the magic that gave the fruit its lure. In its purest form, the type of magic was powerfully strong. But still I was able to resist it, for in the end, one's decision falls on his own will."

He was able to find a way to concentrate the certain type of magic? Theo was impressed. It's weird to think that he is my brother. She studied his partially hidden face as he continued to talk. Although, the thought doesn't bother me. He's talented.

"By then, the last surviving Cragerians had fled to this place," Damon went on. "I was not aware of them until one snuck into my shelter. You can imagine my surprise when I walked in and found a finely dressed woman already there. She had my glass vial full of magic gripped in her hands, staring at it. She panicked when she noticed me, screaming as if I was a threat. Next thing I knew, she'd slipped past me and ran out."

"You didn't try to get the vial back from her?" Theo asked. It seemed like the sensible thing to do.

"No, I let her take it. She was so scared of me I didn't want to go after her," Damon sighed. "Then, a while later I met Adder. He was a dragon by then, along with all the other Cragerian survivors. He told me about a female, the Golden Dragon, who had a seemingly magical lure to her. She demanded that she be served as she once was in Crageria. Her closest guards were readily willing, but Adder saw through to reason and was able to convince the others that there was no point."

"I felt the attraction," Theo dawned. "When she started screaming, I tried to protect her. But Liah didn't even hesitate to kill her. Why is that?"

Damon scratched his head absentmindedly. "The Golden Dragon had a stronger influence on Cragerians because of the human imprint left on them. It must have been the same for you."

"See," he explained, "the firesap fruit is a lure to humans and animals, except for dragons and monigons. Since the later generations of dragons were never human, the Golden Dragon didn't have the same effect on them."

"Oh," Theo began to comprehend. "So you think she drank the luring magic and it somehow...applied itself to her?"

"That's my understanding of it." Damon got out of the tree, sap and pine needles clinging to his back. Crouching, he helped the fallen beetle off its back with his finger, then again straightened somewhat. "Well," he said, rolling his shoulders, seemingly sore. "I have what I came up here for. Fancy accompanying me on the way down?"

"No, thank you," Theo quietly declined and watched as Damon shuffled down the mountain without her.
Chapter 23

Theo took a few more days to wander by herself.

At one point, she found herself being bombarded by phoenixes. Just like during her previous experience, the blue throated ones dove for her eyes while the others gathered around in the shedding trees.

Theo gave in to what they wanted. With a livid roar, she unleashed furious fire upon them, turning their bodies ashen grey. It actually helped her to let loose all the stress of grief and injustice that she'd been forced to trudge through recently.

It did not take long for the phoenixes to disperse just as the flames disappeared, and Theo found herself completely alone once again.

Eventually, she was unable to bear the thought of the lost, mind-wrecked hatchlings and pupils she'd left behind. She knew exactly who to tell, and soon found Sky with her pupils at the waterfall.

"River!" Sky exclaimed as she saw Theo in her battered state. "What's happened?"

Plover stared at her, amazed. Chestnut howled joyously, diving from the cliffs, oblivious of everyone else.

"Sky," Theo said in a daze, "there's something I need to tell you."

Sky's eyes grew wider with each word that Theo spoke. By the time Theo told her about the loose young ones, Sky was already starting to leave for the mountains, telling her pupils to stay behind.

"I can't allow those little ones to stay uncared for," she told Theo, beckoning her with a flick of her head. "You're going to bring me to this place you speak of and I will mentor every last one of them if that's the way it has to be."

"Alright," said Theo, catching up to her friend's side. Sky's statement was quite strong, but it helped Theo to finally address the problem.

The deeper they went into the mountains, the tenser Theo became. It was like walking into a memory trap, except she wasn't completely sure of which way to go. After all the things she'd gone through, the map in her head was rather vague.

In time, they found the Golden Dragon's old hideaway where the six dead dragons, five adults and one striker, lay as rotting corpses. These, Sky had no problem looking past, only able to focus in on the younglings.

Theo guessed that about half of them had left since she'd been there, but at least a dozen still crept around the perimeter.

Three pupils climbed the Golden Dragon's hoard, batting each other so that they tumbled down the shiny slope, showered by jingling coins when they hit the bottom. They stopped in their rough-housing to stare at Sky approaching the middle of the clearing, her eyes dilating as she took in the big picture.

"Oh..." she moaned when Theo joined her. "Oh, how awful."

Theo didn't say anything. She noticed that none of the young ones paid any mind to the dead bodies encircled by dry, bloodstained dirt. It was as though they had grown accustomed to such horrors long ago.

"Little dragons," Sky spoke softly, but all seemed to hear her. "Won't you come with me?"

None of the younglings gave any audible response at first, but they appeared interested in her, coming out and flopping their heads to one side in curiosity.

"Where?" one of the playmates sitting in treasures finally asked.

"To someplace where it is safe," Sky answered lovingly, bowing her head as she approached him.

"This place is safe," he replied. "All the bad ones are gone."

"Yes, but there is someplace better\- out of these mountains," Sky tried to tell him, but his attention was waning and he nipped playfully at his friend slinking down the mountain of gold and silver.

"Young one," she asked for him to look at her. He ignored her, having lost all interest. Desperately, Sky circled around to another, asking her if she would come.

"Where?" the youngling repeated the first one's question, but Sky readily answered it again.

"Will you come?" Sky pressed ever so gently.

Watching this, Theo felt sick to her stomach. She could feel Sky tying down her anguish inside herself, clearly not wanting to alarm the little ones, desperate not to lose her one chance of interacting with them.

"I will come," one dragon offered and another joined in as well.

"Wonderful, wonderful," Sky cooed. "Come on, who else?"

Sky was relentless in her persuasion, yet she'd only gained five younglings by the time Theo decided it was best to stop her.

"Take what you have," Theo whispered when Sky begged her to give her more time. "The others aren't interested."

Sky's lips quivered and her eyes glistened in remorse of those who would not follow, but she did as Theo advised. The seven of them made their way out of the mountains to join the Colony, where the pupils could fit themselves in.

. . .

"Have you noticed how low the water's been, lately?" Theo overheard Whinchat ask Cedar as she passed them by in Camp.

"Yeah. It's strange, isn't it?" Cedar replied. "I've never seen the creek so drained."

Theo thought little of it. It had been days since she and Sky returned with the few younglings from the mountains.

I'm glad none of them chose me as their mentor, Theo mulled over. Sure, I've been a dragon now for almost two years, but still...

Theo halted when she saw Egret scratching into the ground again, with Jay watching over her shoulder. I wonder what she's drawing now.

"Oh." She smiled as she approached and Egret looked up from her picture. "You're drawing Jay. How sweet."

"Hello, River," Jay greeted her without stammering.

That's an improvement, Theo noted.

"Hold on a moment..." Theo grinned, looking at the two of them standing comfortably close. "You two are courting, aren't you?"

Egret cocked her head. "What's courting?" she asked quietly.

Ugh! Can I not have one, simple conversation with this dragon?

"Um, let's see..." Theo strived for the word. "Pairing, isn't that what you call it?"

Egret and Jay looked at each other. "We're not pairing," Egret said and Jay shook his head in agreement.

"Oh, they're pairing, River. They just haven't realized it yet!" Whinchat yelled from a distance. She turned her head to rub chins with Cedar, who closed his eyes happily.

Egret and Jay lowered their eyes to the ground. They really do make a suitable pair, Theo considered. She was just trying to think of a way to escape the awkwardness when Jacinth joined them.

"Jacinth," Theo said, "did you see Egret's sketch of Jay?"

Jacinth scrunched her muzzle. "Sketch?" she echoed.

"See?" Theo put a claw on the drawing at their feet.

"I..." Jacinth narrowed her eyes at it. "Hmm..."

"Pigeon!" Cobalt called out loudly and they all looked up to see him. He was standing up, watching as Pigeon walked away from him. "Don't leave me!"

"They're still pairing?" Jacinth asked. "I thought that was just Cobalt's quick escape out of Wolfe's advances."

"Maybe Wolfe kept coming," Theo suggested as they watched Pigeon turn around to face Cobalt.

"Pidge, you've made me feel something unlike anything I've ever felt before," he was telling her. "Now you've matured faster than I could get my eyes straight and you want to leave me. I know how I've been, but please...I love you, Pigeon."

A hush ran over the crowds and Pigeon took a sidelong glance at them all.

"Cobalt..." she said, bowing her head, "if you want to have a real conversation with me, pick someplace where there isn't an audience." And with that, she exited Camp, leaving Cobalt staring after her, stunned.

"That..." Jacinth processed, "was actually quite well done on her part. I think I can have more respect for her now."

Theo looked at Cobalt, who still stood in the shock of rejection. "I can almost pity him, though," she said.

"Him?" Jacinth inquired incredulously. "Don't. He doesn't deserve a lover."

"That's a bit harsh," Jay mulled. "He at least tried."

"He put her on the spot in front of everyone," Egret opposed softly.

"Yes! Thank you, Egret," Jacinth exclaimed, looking surprised but happy to have her support. "If his feelings were genuine, he'd have talked to her privately."

. . .

At the beginning of winter, wandering close to Camp, Theo heard shouts in the distance, followed by the panicked voices of many. What's going on? She became alarmed, quickening her stride to find out.

She saw numerous dragons, their stares pivoted towards Adder. Many had their mouths wordlessly open, while others prattled anxiously.

"What's happened?" Theo asked the dragon nearest to her.

"The humans killed the Maelstrom." Wycker was suddenly behind her. Theo turned to face him as he told her, "Follow me. We have some things to discuss."

Theo let him lead her to an isolated place. Next, Adder joined them, face full of sadness. Theo was reminded that the Maelstrom was his brother.

"You said the humans killed the Maelstrom?" Theo queried Wycker.

"Your brother's army," Wycker clarified spitefully.

Theo was shocked into silence. Chadwick slew a dragon...

"How?" she breathed aloud.

"You know they've been training since your disappearance," Wycker growled. "Turns out they had the skill after all. But how could I be surprised, knowing all the things you humans can accomplish in your tyranny."

The scales on Theo's back rose and she bore her eyes into him with hatred, but held herself back.

"Wycker, please," Adder rasped emptily. "Spare us your insults."

"The Maelstrom was the only thing keeping Wystil out of our territory," Wycker rumbled on, speaking directly to Theo. "Now that they've found no evidence of you at the Cragerian ruins, they're looking towards our land for answers."

"And they have the Narrow Valley to get here," Theo realized aloud. This doesn't bode well.

"And they still know about the Archway. Soon there will be scouts," Wycker snarled. "I'll be guarding the Narrow Valley and I'll post a guard at the Archway. In the meantime, I suggest you figure out a solution before we decide to fight back." Wycker whisked away.

"Adder..." Theo spoke up, thinking of the Maelstrom. "I'm so sorry."

Adder nodded his head subtly. "He was a danger to everyone," he replied. "It's probably best he's gone now."

"What are we going to do?"

Adder shook his head. "Nothing's changed. We already knew your brother was a threat- it's just that he's finally proved it. But until something new comes up, the most we can do is try to keep him out."

. . .

Later, that night, Theo had a dream. She was trapped in a deep hole in the ground, in human form, feeling the walls with her hands.

When she looked up, she drew her breath in sharply to see a dragon above. It stood with claws on edge as it gazed down at her.

There was a loud noise that rose from the distance and the beast turned its head to see what was out of Theo's view.

Slash!

The dragon collapsed, falling into the pit with Theo. She saw that its throat was cut open, blood filling the bottom of the pit in the ground. She recoiled.

The dragon was her, River.

Commotion broke out overhead. Cries of man and beast filled Theo's ears. Bodies of both tumbled in, smothering her under a heap of lifeless beings. Her vision was overcome by the color of the firesap flower, and-

She awoke with a start, panting in terror, heart galloping.

What did it mean?

. . .

Some dragons had a new fear seeded into their hearts; others didn't show how they felt. But Theo knew that all of their perspectives regarding the humans had changed. Now, they all had the humans in mind.

Theo didn't feel scared. Just as Adder had said, nothing had changed concerning the problem they'd faced since Theo took on the form of a dragon. Only, time was running out and all Theo could do was wait for a miracle.

Theo overheard Oriole weeping as she confessed, "I accepted the firesap. I was too afraid to do it before, but now, with all that's happening...I thought I might need it..."

"Weren't you the last adult dragon who didn't breathe fire?" Oriole's listener asked.

"Yes," Oriole blubbered. "I've checked with everyone in the Colony. I was the only one left."

Theo narrowed her eyes at the two. That leaves last year's and this year's young as the only ones without the firesap.

. . .

The first snow of the season came down heavily, making Theo's vision a blur of white.

It must be time for this year's pupils to receive the Gift of Fire, Theo connected, seeing many dragons gather into Camp. She eyed all of the pupils as they came and went. There aren't very many of them...

She saw Sky proudly offer her pupils a chance to accept the firesap, and they did so with much excitement.

She seems to have gotten over what happened in the mountains by now, Theo observed. None of the young ones from Laurel's lair had chosen Sky as their mentor, but Theo assumed it was just as well.

Then, through the cover of snowflakes, she saw the Colonists make way as a number of unfamiliar dragons pompously walked their pupils to the firesap plants. Theo could see by their eyes that they were just waiting to be challenged, but no one got in their way.

"Rogue dragons?" Theo assumed.

"Yeah, I guess they got a couple pupils this year," Jacinth replied, then muttered, "Glad to see they haven't been murdered yet."

Theo watched as the rogues finished with the firesap and left, strutting out of Camp. She almost thought she recognized one of them as a pupil that had stayed behind, one who'd been playing on the hoard. She hoped Sky did not notice, wherever she was.

"I can't think of a single dragon-of-age that doesn't breathe fire now," Jacinth whispered to Theo. "With every generation, more dragons want to commit."

"Maybe a pupil doesn't want to be the odd one out," Theo suggested.

"What do you mean?" Jacinth asked.

"I mean, a pupil might be scared that if he doesn't accept the firesap, he'd be the only one," Theo explained. "So a pupil gives in, not wanting to risk being the only one left not breathing fire."

"Interesting, I've never thought of that," Jacinth replied. "You might be right."

. . .

It was early morning when Theo noticed Damara sitting in Camp with her hands in her lap.

Theo was alerted when she saw that the one dragon keeping an eye on the little girl was Chasm.

He stood behind her, quite near, looking over her shoulder at something held loosely in her hands.

"I know you," he was telling her in cool, hushed tones. "You watch your friends come and go, growing beyond you so quickly you can't even hold on to them. You can't even play with them properly, else you get hurt. You want to be like us. And this can do just that for you."

Theo's eyes widened in anger as she caught on, for in Damara's hands was a firesap fruit.

"You snake!" she shrieked. "Trying to deceive a child!"

Dragons all around looked at them. Chasm stiffened, watching her stalk close to confront him.

"Who left you with her?" Theo demanded.

Chasm lifted his head to meet hers, their muzzles inches away from each other. Between them, Damara gazed up at them with an expression of wonder.

"She was left alone," Chasm answered slyly. "She was left vulnerable, and I sought to fix that by making her a stronger individual."

"Xander prefers she stay just the way she is and it's not your right to try and change that," Theo growled.

"Xander," Chasm countered, "is but a child himself. He and his sister would be better off as dragons."

Theo's lip curled as she stared him down to say, "Leave."

He stayed put for only a moment, smirking as he assessed her eyes. "Some Colonist you are," he remarked, and turned away to disappear.

"Damara?" Xander showed up on the scene, watching with a puzzled look as Chasm left. He knelt down to her level and spotted the firesap fruit. "Damara, what are you doing with this?" Concerned, he picked it up and tossed it away.

Theo observed the two of them. Damara's head rested on her brother's shoulder as he hugged her, but she stared only at where the firesap fruit had landed.

"Is it true?" she asked him in her small voice. "Could the fire-fruit make me more like my friends?"

"Sapling..." Xander hushed, holding her out to look at her. He took a moment, as though trying to decide what to say. "Promise me you won't eat it," he replied, hugging her again. "Don't ever eat it."

"But Xander-" she began.

"Shush," he interrupted her.

"But Chasm said-" she tried again.

"No!" he shouted, making her jump. "Don't argue! I don't want you to be like them! You're all I have!"

Damara started to cry and he let go of her, dismayed.

Jacinth and Sky drew close to comfort them both with soft words. As Damara ceased crying, Xander relaxed.

Behind her, Theo heard dragons murmuring amongst themselves. They were debating whether or not it was good to stop the girl from committing to a dragon form.

She almost fell into my own situation, Theo thought. Except it would have been her own choice to eat the firesap fruit. Damon saved my life with that fruit, but who's to say it would be best for Damara?

She smiled as she watched Damara begin to stroke her brother's head forgivingly.

She truly is an adorable child.
Chapter 24

Theo stepped in to see what the commotion was about. Everyone paced around a nest that had been rumored to contain a clutch of stones. But Theo was amazed to see that one of the eggs had actually hatched!

The hatchling stumbled blindly, arching its spine grotesquely and sneezing fire. Dragons cried over it as the youngling panted and faltered about.

"Oh, the poor hatchling!" Sky bawled. "What is the matter with him?"

"Did it...get to the firesap?" a dragon in the crowd stuttered to no one in particular.

"I was near the firesap plants all day and none of the hatchlings came near them!" another answered.

"The Wizard is here!" someone announced and the dragons apprehensively made way for Damon.

He knelt before the nest, examining it and observing the hatchling, a grim expression on his face. Everyone was quiet except for the poor, retching creature. Horrific realization dawned over Damon's face.

"I understand now..." he moaned.

"What? Tell us!" dragons urged.

The hatchling became overwrought, falling over with its sides heaving. Its eyes glazed over.

Damon stroked it with one finger, but it served as no comfort for the tormented little one.

"He can't hold on," Damon murmured and the dragons seemingly melted to the ground around him in anguish.

In minutes, the little one burnt out with a small cry.

Carefully, Damon scooped it up in his arms. Its tail drooped completely limp as the Wizard turned to face the group.

"Ever since you all began receiving the Gift of Fire, I have seen the firesap working in you in a way I found perplexing. I could see that it made you more powerful, yet, at the same time, it was taking another effect on you that I could not determine. Now I see that that effect was death."

Theo inhaled sharply. Everyone around her buzzed with shock.

"Not only is it killing you," Damon continued sullenly, "but it is passing onto offspring through the parents. It is what has been killing all these eggs for generations. This hatchling I hold has shown great strength in surviving until now, but he too has reached his breaking point.

"The firesap consumes its host, like flame does wood. The weaker the body, the sooner it is taken over."

The dragons were silent. Each and every one of them was a fire, slowly on their way to burning out.

Finally, one asked, "So what do we do?" The question stood for them all.

Damon just shook his head. "I don't know," he said.

. . .

For hours after the truth was revealed, dragons stormed Damon with questions.

"Won't the firesap fruit heal us?" Whinchat pleaded.

Damon replied. "Renewing a fire's kindling does not put it out, but makes it stronger."

"Surely it would buy us more time!" Whinchat persisted.

"I can't say." Damon sat down wearily.

"How long have you known this?" Cedar demanded, jutting out his chin.

Damon looked him in the eye. "Not until now did the situation become clear," he swore.

Sky appeared unaware of the commotion, shuddering in overwhelmed sadness as she stared at the dead hatchling, still held in Damon's gentle arms.

Theo couldn't stand it anymore. Like many others, she departed silently into the woods, seeking a place where she could be alone.

Damon's words cycled endlessly throughout her mind as she walked aimlessly onward. She remembered accepting the firesap, leading others to do so also.

Who doesn't breathe fire by now?

She struggled to think of a single striker or adult that didn't.

So the whole dragon species' existence now rested on the pupils. So few were they, the rest of their generation made up of stones.
Chapter 25

Everything was still, in the days that followed. Everyone around Theo was stricken. The firesap, which they once regarded so highly, turned out to be their short cut to death and now they couldn't turn back.

Theo found herself once again at the boulder with the dugout underneath, but she felt no reason to hide this time. She just laid on the moss covered rock, dazed by the bitter cold of truth.

"Theo?" Aspen crept cautiously forward.

"Call me River," Theo groaned. "I became River and now I'm going to die as River."

"Theo, Damon figured out a potion that can change you back."

Theo shot up. "He actually did it?" Long forgotten longing rushed back to her. She wasn't sure how she should feel, but now her mind was racing.

"He wants to talk to you," Aspen said.

Theo nodded slowly. "Yes, of course. Please- lead the way."

Aspen and Theo hurried over the new spring grass, past freshly leaved trees, all the way to Damon's place. On the way there, Theo's hopes climbed as she thought, I might live, I might live!

Except...What about the Colony? Could I really leave them without a thought? Wouldn't it be wrong to abandon them after they considered me one of them?

But, when Theo saw the look on Damon's face, she knew that all was not well.

"Hello, Sister," he greeted her emptily. His hair was wet and it stuck to his head, making his face visible for once. He wore an expression that spoke of a history full of stress and exhaustion. Theo saw that his eyes were a light grey.

Theo slumped in response. "What do you have to tell me?" she asked. Better get this over with.

Damon looked behind him and picked up a flask. "This potion I made will transform you back to your original self," he said, but sounded as though it wasn't good news at all.

"Then what's the problem?" Theo braced herself.

"If you were to take this potion right now," Damon started, "the firesap would still be inside you and it would consume you within a number of days. A cure for the firesap would have to be found before anything could be done to benefit you."

Figures, Theo thought. These are the consequences of my mistakes.

She didn't say anything. She abandoned all expressions, leaving her face an unreadable blank.

Then, suddenly, she smiled.

But it was actually more of a grimace than anything else. A grimace of bitter, resigned peace.

"Well then," she said, "I suppose nothing's changed."

. . .

Theo was tired of stress, of worrying. She'd been pushed beyond her limits and now she found no point in dwelling on all that was wrong.

I should appreciate however much time I have left here, she reasoned. I'm not dead yet, so why not live for now?

She searched her memory for things she'd wanted to do in her life, things that she maybe backed out of when she finally got the chance.

She remembered being with Sky, on the edge of the cliffs. She hadn't taken the leap, despite Sky's strong encouragement to do so.

I know that I can fly now. It's about time I try the cliffs.

Casually, she passed Xander and Damara, heading in the direction of the ocean. The two children were spending more time around Damon's living area now that all was not well, though they barely seemed to understand the problem. Damara was especially oblivious, jumping about Aspen, as happy as can be.

Cutting through forests and fields, Theo continued on her way. As she passed a pile of boulders, she was somewhat surprised to find Sky drooping atop the tallest of the rocks.

"Sky?" she called for her friend's attention. "There is more to life than woe and regret. Won't you join me to celebrate life's blessings and test our wings?"

From above, Sky did not bother lift her head as she moaned, "I'm a failure, River...I can't bear to think of all the pupils I've led astray...All the young ones I've encouraged to take that evil firesap...What makes me any better than a heartless rogue?"

"You are absolutely better," Theo insisted without a moment's hesitation. "For as long as I've known you, you've always acted out of love for others. Not once have you done something with ill intentions. How can you compare yourself to a dragon who eats her own young?!"

Sky did not respond but continued to slouch around the boulder like a wilted vine.

Seeing that her words could not get through to her, Theo thought of something else.

Plover and Chestnut...If I found them, they could probably talk to her. Theo knew that the two former pupils were strikers now. Where could I find them? She searched her mind for places they'd likely be, but couldn't think of any place specific.

And so, she walked on, asking any dragon she came across if they'd seen Plover or Chestnut anywhere recently. She noticed an empty look in many of the older ones' eyes, and they answered negatively in depressed tones. Respectfully, she thanked them and moved on.

At last, she came across Lichen, who, with very jittery movements, affirmed that he'd seen Chestnut pass into Camp not too long ago.

In Camp, Theo spotted Chestnut standing with a group of friends, laughing as though nothing was wrong.

Death rarely feels near when you feel so young, Theo considered as she approached.

"Chestnut," she greeted him and the striker looked at her. A grin still lingered on his lips, but she could see something in his eyes that gave her the impression he had no interest in talking to her. Ignoring the feeling, she told him, "Sky isn't feeling well. Perhaps you could talk to her, considering you were her pupil?"

"Oh, Sky?" Chestnut said, sounding very unconcerned. "Um...Well, Plover's just over there. Maybe she can help you."

"I see," Theo replied, realizing that he didn't even care. "Thank you." She walked away, hearing Chestnut and his friends resume their lighthearted conversation behind her.

Plover will care, she predicted, spotting the young female standing with a single friend. She was concerned when Sky was mourning over that drowned hatchling.

Her prediction was correct. When Theo told Plover about Sky, the striker bid her friend farewell and was quick to follow Theo back to Sky.

She takes after her old mentor, Theo took note. She's just as sweet and caring.

"Sky?" Plover called as she and Theo came to the rock where Sky still hunched. "Sky, it's me."

The light blue dragon looked down at the striker and broke down, sobbing, "Plover, I'm so s-sorry...I've killed you...You and all the other pupils that trusted me and my lies..."

"What lies?" Plover asked, stepping up on a stone to better see the weeping dragon. "What are you talking about?"

"The firesap," Sky whimpered. "I encouraged you all to take the firesap...and you listened to me!"

"But that was our own decision to make," Plover responded in a wise, yet youthful way. "You can't take responsibility for our mistakes."

Sky shook her head sorrowfully, with eyes closed. "But you're still going to die," she wept.

"Don't fret...We still have a long time ahead of us," the kind striker comforted her. "Only now, we know what's ahead of us. We're prepared!"

Sky curled tighter around the boulder, but looked as though she were thinking over Plover's words.

"Sky, I don't regret choosing you as my mentor," Plover said earnestly. "Not at all."

Sky blinked down at her former pupil, a pacified expression relaxing her face. Silently, she nodded, standing up and descending the rock face at an eased balance.

"Come on," Theo murmured, gazing into her friend's eyes. "Let's walk for a while."

Chapter 26

Theora slumped lazily in the clearing of Camp, all alone, thinking about what Damon had told her.

No cure...she told herself, her tired eyes browsing the dried up creek bed. No cure for the firesap and no water for the stream.

It had been days since the Colony left for the Lake in need of fresh water. It hadn't seemed like a dry season, and yet the creek was left as an alarmingly dry wash, nothing but a trail of sand.

The problem must be up at the source of the creek, far away from here, Theo guessed. What else could cause this drought?

She opened and closed her dry mouth, day dreaming of water crawling back into the creek bed, a slow trickle at first but gaining more and more power until the whole wash was full...But no. The bed remained cluttered with crackling, brown leaves and bone-dry twigs, not a single drop of water to be seen.

How is the Colony doing? she wondered. Sky, Jacinth, Lichen...

They had all invited Theo to join them in their migration to the Lake, but she had declined.

What if Damon finds a solution to all my problems? She wanted to stay close, just in case.

How ridiculous, Theo thought scornfully. Here I am, hoping for a miracle as I slowly die of thirst!

Camp was such a lonesome place. It was strange for her to think that not too long ago the area used to be teeming with dragons.

"Damn those Highlanders!"

Theo started as she heard an approaching dragon curse.

Who's here?

She gasped as she saw Lynx appear out of the trees, blood running down the side of his face.

The marine green dragon stopped to look at her and grinned.

"Lynx, you're bleeding!" Theo exclaimed, staring at the gash on his crown.

"Never mind that," he replied, blinking away the blood that ran down into his eyes.

Theo stared at him, appalled. "Who attacked you?"

"The phoenixes got me." He smirked.

Theo could tell that he was mocking her, recalling their first interaction, but his smug air altered as he grimaced in pain.

"Don't jest with me," Theo insisted. "Tell me what really happened."

"I wanted to avoid the Lake, with the rogues and colonists bashing heads, so I went to a spring up in the mountains but there were already a couple of brutes there." He tossed his head to shake off the bloody saliva dangling from his jaws and chuckled. "We didn't agree with each other."

With that, he lumbered away, a snide smile lingering on his face.

That leaves the Lake as the only dependable fresh water source on this side of the mountain range, Theo realized. And with the rogues defending it as their own, what will happen to everyone else?

Frustrated and parched, Theo made up her mind and headed towards the Archway, Wystil on her mind- her drive for hydration making her reckless.

"River!"

Theo jumped, and then noticed Cedar at the foot of the mountain, across the creek bed from Damon's shelter.

"Oh, Cedar," she murmured. "Why aren't you with the rest of the Colony?"

"Ah, I'd like to be," Cedar sighed. "But Wycker asked me to stand guard at the Archway, and you know when he asks for something...you can't really say no."

"True," Theo agreed. "Why does he want you to guard?"

"Scouts, I think they're called," Cedar said. "I don't know what a scout looks like but I sure have been scaring off a lot of humans."

"What?" Theo was taken aback. "What are the humans doing?"

"I don't know. But they come one by one and all I have to do is growl at them and they run away," he chuckled. "It's kind of amusing, actually."

"Cedar, those are scouts," Theo told him.

"No." Cedar shook his head. "They're humans, I'm sure of it. They look just like that Damon person."

"Well, yeah they're humans, but they're called scouts because they're coming to scout out the area," Theo tried to explain.

"Huh..." Cedar puzzled. "Ah, well. All that matters is I'm doing what Wycker wants, right?" He grinned. "Although...I heard you've stood up to him before. Got quite the courage, have you?"

"Ugh," Theo narrowed her eyes, remembering. "I can't stand him."

"Oh, I know," Cedar concurred. "Anyway, what are you doing so far from the Colony?"

"Just-" Theo shook her head. "I'm just staying behind for now. I hear things aren't so grand up by the Lake with all the rogues. Is Whinchat there, do you know?"

Cedar looked downcast. "Yeah, she is," he answered. "I'm worried for her, though, because of all those rogues...I wish she'd have stayed down here with me."

"Did you ask her to?"

"Yeah, but...I guess she didn't feel comfortable being away from everyone else."

"Hmm." Theo nodded sympathetically. "How long does Wycker want you to stay here?"

Cedar snorted. "He didn't say. I've been here since...I don't even know how long."

"Oh." Theo wondered if he'd been there since the truth about the firesap was revealed, but she didn't ask. "Do you know where Wycker is now?"

"He's guarding the Narrow Valley. Apparently he doesn't expect these humans, or scouts, to give up."

"Yeah..." For once, Theo agreed with Wycker. After slaying the Maelstrom and hearing about the dragons that came to snatch a little boy, Chadwick would be more determined than ever to find out what was going on in the dragon territory.

Soon he'll give up on sending scouts and just come himself, she predicted. With an army at his heels...

She worried of what was to come. What will kill us first? The firesap, the rogues, the drought, or my brother's men? Everything seemed so hopeless.

Once again, Theo was reminded of the one thing she wanted to do in this time of complete chaos.

All I want is a drink.

She took a deep breath. "I'd like to get past," she told Cedar.

"What?" Cedar was confounded. "You want to go through the Archway?"

"Yes," Theo affirmed, trying to take a step forward.

"But wait!" Cedar exclaimed, getting in her way. "Why?! What am I to tell Wycker?"

"Tell him to go shred his wings or burn his eyes out for all I care," Theo scoffed. "Try standing up to him for once. See how he likes it."

"He won't like it," Cedar replied, abashed. "Please, River! Don't leave."

Theo looked him in the eye. "Sorry, but I'm going. So please get out of the way."

Cedar stood still for a moment, holding eye contact with her. Then, he averted his eyes and stepped aside. "I don't want to fight my friends," he said. "Not that I don't think I could beat you," he added.

"Perhaps you could," Theo responded walking past. "Thanks all the same."

"...hope I don't regret this." Theo heard Cedar muttering behind her as she headed deeper into the valley.

On either side of her, the iron bond plants were shriveling and crackling as they bent, unable to support their own weight in their drained condition.

When she reached the Archway, she saw that it was clearly exposed, no longer submerged in the water that once flowed through. Cautiously, she stuck her head out, scanning the scenery before crawling out.

She spotted the bank where she had knelt down in her royal dress to drink from the river. She was reminded that, had she left for the castle when her servants asked her to, she'd be out of this mess entirely. Theo shook her head angrily. She felt so dehydrated.

She ventured further into Wystil, heading for Swaine River, which curved around the castle, providing a trusty water source for the humans, their crops, and their livestock. Theo assumed that this river her people relied on so much was still at its peak. Its source, she knew, was located a vast distance away from the source of Iron Creek.

Her assumption appeared to be correct. As she drew nearer to her destination, there was an obvious increase of wildlife. Birds sang above her head. Rabbits and squirrels hurried to get to shelter as she came. Once, she took the liberty of catching some quail for a meal. She smiled at the satisfying crunch of bones, followed by a flood of warm juices within her mouth.

Theo could feel herself getting closer to the castle. It vexed her, that feeling. She continued to stride onward, all the while her anger rising. There was nothing for her to be angry at but herself. She thought of all her past decisions that turned out to be critical mistakes. Had she avoided just one of them, her problems could have been solved, or would never have existed in the first place. How foolish she was to have accepted the Gift of Fire.

Gift of Fire! She snorted at the irony.

In a relatively short time, she reached the river. The sight of its seemingly limitless water flowing with ease brought her mind off of her problems for the moment. Eagerly, she crept up to the water's edge to plunge her muzzle into the cool refreshment. She sucked in mouthfuls, lifting her head each time to let the water run down her throat.

For once, she felt enlivened. Then she heard the sound of something crashing through the undergrowth. Theo immediately retreated to the cover of the trees, turning her head to the noise as it came. She saw a deer running at full speed. In its panic, it was unaware of her and bounded right in front of her.

Theo took the deer down by impulse. At once it lay in the dirt, its neck snapped from impact.

Theo looked at it irritably. She hated when she lost control of herself like that.

Then something under the carcass caught her eye and she turned the deer over with one claw to see it better. Blood stained its side where an arrow protruded. It all became clear to her why it had been fleeing.

Theo alerted at another sound nearby- horses at full gallop. The shouts of men were also to be heard, as well as what Theo believed to be the excited screeches of hunting monigons.

She froze. This was a hunt, and she had just taken down the quarry.

Suddenly, Theo cried out in pain as an arrow embedded itself between her left wing and shoulder blade. Living in such a tough hide, pain had become a rarity, but now it blossomed up inside of her and she fled.

As she ran, she heard her attacker calling out to the others.

Out of nowhere, Theo saw a midnight blue dragon flying above her, darting with expert agility between trees. Wycker.

"Fold your wing in!" he flared at her, seeing her left wing being torn as it caught on twigs and branches.

"I can't!" she cried. The arrow prevented her wing from closing, and the pain worsened when she tried.

"Turn here!" Wycker demanded and she, panicky, did as he said.

Racing onward, trying to keep her wing from hitting trees, she sensed that she was out-running the hunters. Their noise was distant, and Theo began to believe that she actually escaped them.

Then she hit a dead end.

A rocky cliff loomed before her. She began to change direction, but Wycker called her back.

"You'll run right into a town that way," he said, glaring down at her from a jut of rock.

Theo desperately looked to her right.

"You'll meet a dead end there, too," Wycker growled.

"I have to climb?" Theo gasped, looking up at the top of the cliff, so far out of reach.

"No time!" Wycker snapped. "It's either fly or be caught!"

Theo stared, terrified, unable to respond.

Fly? She tried to move her injured wing but the pain was too great. I can't!

"So be it," he hissed when she just stood there.

"What do I do?" she yelped. Her pursuers were drawing closer now, with shouts of excitement.

Wycker crouched as he contemplated.

"Submit," he told her. "Don't fight them. Request to speak to the king."

"Yes, of course!" Theo exclaimed. "I will tell him who I really am. He will help me!"

"No!" Wycker barked. "Do not tell anyone of your true identity. You will only be met with denial and accusations."

Theo opposed but Wycker shut her down.

"Try to make yourself desirable alive, just so they don't kill you. I will see you again."

With that, he was up and over the cliff, completely out of sight.

Clinging to a rock was a small, marble white wyvern that watched Theo intently with scarlet red eyes.

You! For how long will you haunt me? She stared back at the creature and it opened its mouth, emitting a piercing screech.

Theo whipped around just as the first hunting monigon appeared. More arrived, surrounding her and advancing at a stalk. They exchanged freakish, excited sounds as they saw that she was trapped, pressed against the cliff.

The leading one bellowed, proclaiming their capture.

With the hunters soon to arrive, Theo sunk lower to the ground.

The horsemen cantered to a stop behind the arch of monigons, staring at their catch in awe. The horses threw their heads nervously.

"Send for King Chadwick," one man on a dark brown horse said. Theo's heart skipped a beat when she recognized him as Chadwick's best friend.

Tyrone.

One man turned his horse and galloped away to do as Tyrone ordered.

"Imagine how handsomely we'll be rewarded!" someone exclaimed and was met with a chorus of cheers.

Tyrone did not cheer. He almost looked grim as he dismounted his horse. He lifted his falconer-gloved hand and called softly, "Ivory."

Theo flinched when the red-eyed wyvern flew past her to perch on his arm.

It's his! Theo realized. He must have kept it ever since it scared me out of that tree!

Tyrone's eyes flicked down to the pool of blood forming where she stood. The dark red liquid gushed out of her shoulder with every rapid beat of her heart.

"That arrow is causing her a great amount of damage," Theo heard him say to a man behind him. "She needs medical attention or she'll bleed out."

Theo narrowed her eyes, trying to hide her fear. Her wing stuck out awkwardly, making her feel even more vulnerable. Tyrone continued to stand there, examining her from the distance.

"I don't understand how she's still standing!" a bowman exclaimed. "I shot her with enough tranquilizer to down a bear!"

"Well, this is no bear," Tyrone responded absentmindedly.

"Tyrone," a man addressed him nervously. "Who's going anywhere near that thing?"

"I will," Tyrone answered without hesitation, removing his glove as Ivory climbed up his arm to his shoulder. "I should be able to dress the wound as I have done for other animals."

"You'll surely be devoured," a man scorned as Tyrone began his approach towards Theo. She arched her back in warning, her body in a defensive half-circle.

"I believe you said the same when we faced the fearsome Zeus," Tyrone replied to the man, his eyes fixed on Theo. "And now the legendary beast lies dead on the coast."

These are the same men who helped kill the Maelstrom? Theo was alarmed.

"It was King Chadwick who slew him!" the man objected.

"True," Tyrone agreed, still facing her. It was clear he did not care to argue, though Theo suspected there was something his opponent was not giving him credit for. Though Chadwick could easily win him over in a duel, Theo knew Tyrone to be very skilled not only in tracking, but also in handling monigons.

Tyrone was probably right there with Chadwick, helping him defeat the Maelstrom in any way he could.

"Back off!" Theo hissed, baring her teeth when she felt Tyrone come too close. She was too winded to breathe fire, though she wanted to warn him away.

The band of hunters inhaled sharply as she spoke, drawing away slightly. Tyrone, however, just met her glare with solemn eyes.

"My apologies," he murmured, "but I cannot."

Theora stiffened. Though she felt threatened, she found herself disarmed by his behavior. To lash out at him was impossible.

"Your men shot me." She held a rigid stance.

"Yes," he agreed. "And I would like to tend to that." Swiftly, he stepped to the side of her, causing her to start. But he did nothing else except stand there, observing her wound as she watched him from the corner of her eye.

She felt herself weakening. Her poise was loosening to the point where she swayed on her feet as the tranquilizer and loss of blood took effect.

At long last, the sound of hoof beats came within earshot. Chadwick had arrived, with guards on either side.

Theo began losing her grip on what was going on around her. She realized that Tyrone was now inspecting her injury at close quarters, but she could do nothing about it. Slowly, her vision blurred and her hearing became muffled. She sank to the ground, lying there, trying to hold on.

"Please," Tyrone requested, "what may I call you by?"

Do not reveal your true identity, Theo wearily remembered Wycker telling her.

"River," she groaned.

"Then, River," Tyrone said, taking hold of the arrow sticking out of her. "Please pardon what I am about to do." With that, she felt the arrow yanked out of her. She lurched with a scream, her sight crystal clear for a moment as the pain shot through her.

Blood flowed even faster with the blockade removed. She felt a few more pricks and probes before she completely lost consciousness, leaving her body to slump in full submission.
Chapter 27

Theo awoke, much like the time on the bank of Iron Creek, when all her problems were launched at full force. She felt her mouth was fastened shut. Her legs, wings, and tail were likewise bound, restraining her movement.

She opened her eyes sharply, glowering around at the people spread about her. All were men, conversing in groups, paying her no attention. It was the same place where she'd been trapped. Apparently they had failed to drag her elsewhere.

Angrily, she twisted in attempt to free herself and the men noticed her moving.

They watched her apprehensively at their distance. Despite her restraints, she managed to stand at a delicate balance. Her shoulder wound was surprisingly well mended. Sewn shut, she suspected. Still, a large amount of old blood stained the ground at her feet and she felt weaker without it.

"The brute awakens!" Theo heard a familiar voice shout. She snapped her head around to see her brother, Chadwick.

He stood boldly upright, his hand rested on the hilt of his sword. Tyrone stood at his side. Chadwick strode forth until he was intimidatingly close to her. Immediately, Tyrone stepped up as well.

Theo gave a deep growl and Chadwick glanced at Tyrone. But, seeing that Tyrone was undeterred by her warning, he advanced even closer.

"I require your services, beast," he snarled. "The land beyond the mountain range is foreign to us, but I believe you know it quite well." He paused, glaring at her and she tried to show no response.

"You will do as I say, with no resistance," he continued. "You will do this because it was I who slew the mighty Zeus, and he was much larger than you. Do not try to outwit me, for at all times, Tyrone here will be watching you, and he knows you dragons from the inside, out."

Theo shifted her eyes over to Tyrone. Even if she wanted to speak, she found that she could not. While the muzzle kept her from biting or breathing fire, it also kept her from being able to talk, making her involuntarily speechless.

"Now," Chadwick breathed maliciously, hooking her by the head so that she was forced into eye contact. "Surely you know what it is I want."

Never before had Theo seen her brother so fierce. Pure hatred pierced through from the depths of his eyes, almost blindingly, and she tried desperately to pull away.

"So you do fear me," Chadwick stated with satisfaction. "Tell me...has your captive been telling you of how I will come for her? Has she been shadowing your minds with promises that I will come, mercilessly striking each of you down, one after the other, until I get to her?" Theo kept her eyes diverted, dreading the wild look in his. He leaned in closer to her than ever and whispered with certainty in her ear, "Because she's damn right I will."

He doesn't understand! Theo panicked. I have to tell him!

She fought the muzzle, trying with all the strength of her jaw to open her mouth and speak, but it was no use. The leather held fast and Chadwick straightened with cruel amusement scrawled across his face.

. . .

Theo was forced to trudge with Chadwick's army. She was heavily guarded, men forming a full circle that encompassed her. She dragged her heavy feet, still weary from the loss of blood. To make matters worse, Chadwick had decided to bring the castle's hunting pack of monigons along.

They surrounded her, getting in her way, running alongside her, nipping at her heels. They slowed her down ever more so, and Theo feared she'd burn out before anything else happened. She couldn't run aground with Chadwick controlling her. Her brother was never merciful to those he deemed his enemies.

They were directing her around the mountain range to pass through the Narrow Valley, but at their slow pace, Theo knew it would take them days to get there. For once, Theo was actually hoping to see Wycker, and soon.

Their day's trek ended at dusk. Tents were set up, horses were secured, and Theo's guards prepared to take their shifts.

Exhaustedly, Theo collapsed to the ground, ignoring the discomfort of her bindings.

As the sky bid farewell to the sun, sleep came to relieve Theo of her torment.

. . .

"Get up!"

"She's not responding. Tyrone, get her up!"

Theo, half asleep with eyes still closed, felt something small land on the crown of her head. She shook herself, but the critter clung to her relentlessly.

"River?"

The familiar voice triggered Theo's memories and her eyes flew open. Her vision focused in on Tyrone, crouching in front of her, waiting for her to recollect herself.

"It's time to keep moving," he said softly.

Theo whimpered, closing her eyes again as though in hopes that they'd all disappear.

"River, please."

Theo exhaled laboriously, sore as she pulling her muscles and bones together to stand. Ivory flew off her head, which Theo hung languidly, for she found no reason worth lifting it.

The troop began its slow march afresh. This time, the hunting monigons tired quickly of tormenting Theo and raced to cause mischief elsewhere.

She always felt that she was being watched, but it was no matter. She wasn't going anywhere but onward at that slow, slow rate.

. . .

Every day was the same, nothing but endless, strenuous treading for as long as the sun was up. Despite the tiresome march, her prior meal seemed to be sustaining her well. Much like her first days in dragon territory, she lost count of each sunrise and sunset. All was a drag. All, except for the times Tyrone came at night to take his watch.

If she looked at him, he would meet her eyes. His expression was so genuinely apologetic that just that silent eye contact served as comfort to her. It reassured her that someone still seemed to care even when, and especially when, she herself doubted her worth.

She never stopped worrying about what would happen when they reached the dragon's territory.

Am I leading my brother and his army to their deaths? she questioned herself. Then, reminded of the terrible drought, she thought, With the dragons already weakened, maybe Chadwick does have the power to defeat them...And what could I do to stop him?

It tore her apart, caring for two opposite forces of a war.

But while her legs nearly buckled in fear of what was to come, Tyrone was always there. She wondered how a single gaze could speak to her so strongly. Consistently, it told her, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please believe I feel your pain.
Chapter 28

Theo lay in exhaustion, staring longingly into the dark depths of the mountains. Her guards seemed to be getting lax in their work- slacking off, drowsing. Now, Theo could hear the majority of Chadwick's troops in the distance, drinking and being merry.

The few guards on duty left awake kept gazing in that direction, all with the same wistful look. Finally, one left to join the fun, and the others readily followed. Other than a couple knights fast asleep, Theo was completely alone.

Theo tensed up, realizing this was likely her only chance to escape.

Should I run? Theo tried considering her options.

She hadn't heard from Wycker since the time he left her to the hunters. He had told her not to fight them, but never did he mention anything about trying to escape, should the opportunity arrive. Theo crouched there, staring wide eyed at her plausible freedom.

Theo was startled as she heard a voice nearby yelp, "What do I do?"

There was a pause, then- "Submit. Don't fight them. Request to speak to the king."

Theo turned her head slowly in confusion. What she heard sounded like Wycker and herself speaking.

"Yes, of course! I will tell him who I really am. He will help me!" Theo narrowed her eyes at a figure emerging from the camp. She was sure that was her voice. Even the conversation sounded familiar...

"No! Do not tell anyone of your true identity. You will only be met with denial and accusations."

The figure was approaching her at a stealthy, measured pace.

Theo realized it was Tyrone. His marble white wyvern clung to his shoulder, reciting Theo's last conversation with Wycker in his ear. Theo hadn't spoken to Wycker for days, yet here Ivory was, presenting the dialog word for word, pause for pause, both of their voices imitated perfectly.

Tyrone reached Theo and spoke not a word. His little spy fell silent as well, squinting at her over Tyrone's shoulder.

Theo's heart was beating rapidly. She watched in apprehension as he met her eyes.

Out came his knife. He knelt down at her feet and began to saw through the ropes that bound her front legs. They snapped and he moved to her hind legs.

Stuck in realization, she stood totally still as more and more ropes fell to the ground. All four of her legs were untied, her wings were unbound, and the contraption secured to disable her tail now slid down, no longer attached.

Finally, Tyrone came around to face her, his expression resigned. He gently lifted his hands up and she lowered her head. In but a moment, Tyrone unbuckled the muzzle and slipped it off.

He let it, too, fall to the ground and stepped back. He now stood still, offering her complete freedom.

Theo also stood still for a moment.

Then there was a yell. One of the guards had awoken.

Theo fled on the spot, leaving Tyrone.

He should run too, she thought. Chadwick will hate him for this!

But when she glanced behind her, she saw that Tyrone still stood where she'd left him, his back to her.

What is he doing?! She stopped and turned around to watch as a couple of guards rushed forward and grabbed Tyrone, who put up no resistance.

Should I help him? Theo panicked. But as she saw men mount their horses and take up their lances and swords, her bravery failed her and again she ran.

I must warn the Colony! she instead told herself.

It was no surprise when Wycker suddenly appeared in front of her, leading the way. She followed him as she had done before, except this time there was no arrow lodged in her wing and she was determined not to be left behind. Her healing wing was still keeping her from flying long distances, though, and Wycker seemed to have figured that, for he also ran instead of flew.

They carved their way through the forest. Already, Theo could hear the men in pursuit. Her brother's commands rung over their shouts. Yet, Theo felt confident that her hunters could not catch her at this speed.

She and Wycker came to the point where the parched wash of Iron Creek joined Swaine River. Without hesitation, Wycker flew across, and Theo determinedly glided after him, though her arrow wound throbbed in protest. They were now bounding on the same side of the unified streams as the mountain range.

They ran all the way around the mountains to where they reached the ocean cliffs of Crageria. There, they made their way through a valley in which a line of dragons stood at the ready to stop her pursuers in their tracks. Theo passed her friends, and then turned around, surprised to see her brother and some of his men already arriving.

Seeing the multiple dragons prepared for battle, Chadwick pulled to a stop and waited for all his men to gather.

Is he going to turn around? Theo wondered, but she knew her brother would never back down like that. Up above, in a canopy of tall narrow trees, Theo heard a collection of noises.

Hundreds of phoenixes dotted the branches like a plentiful bounty of brightly colored fruit. They all chirruped quietly amongst themselves, aware of the coming intrusion of humans. Then they silenced.

Chadwick's battle cry echoed through the valley, and his troop surged forward.

The phoenixes rose into the air, circling overhead in a huge swarm of small bodies. Then they dove, shrieking. The dragons lit them like hundreds of candles as they shot past to meet the enemy.

The men cried out, batting at the flaming birds that attacked their faces and spooked the horses out from under them.

"Coming?" Wycker hissed at her and she spun around. Before her was a wide expanse of simmergrass- tough, dark reeds that stood taller than she. Wycker glared at her from within them and she entered, trying not to lose him as he led her further in.

Theo gaped as they came upon an immense, spherical nest, woven out of simmergrass. The nest was large enough to host all the eggs of the phoenixes. It was probably because of this that the birds watched over it so vigilantly in the canopy above.

At the base of the nest stood Damon and Aspen. Aspen greeted her eagerly.

"I have found the solution to counteract the firesap inside you," Damon informed her.

Theo's heart soared. I'm going to survive!

"You must become human first." With that, he brought her around to the back of the nest, where she saw a simple dress neatly folded on the ground.

"We stole the dress," Aspen admitted, as though it mattered in the situation at hand. Theo ignored her, giving Damon her full attention.

"Are you ready?" he asked her, holding up a flask.

Theo nodded nervously. She would have to do this if ever she hoped to stop Chadwick from turning this conflict into a full out war.

She let Damon slowly pour the foul tasting potion down her throat. When she had swallowed it all, he and Aspen left her silently.

There were a couple moments when nothing happened and Theo worried Damon's potion wasn't working. Then her whole body began tingling underneath her scaly hide and she went limp, slumping to the ground.

With a flick, her vision changed and distant sounds muffled into indistinct tones. The world began growing all around her. The simmergrass reached higher to the sky, and the huge phoenix nest became bigger still. She watched as all this happened, while more and more scales cracked and snapped off, scattering onto the earth.

Strangely, she felt none of this. When she had gone limp, she had lost all feeling.
Chapter 29

Theo arose, shaking with feverish energy. She gathered her auburn hair in her hands to lift it off her neck, feeling as though she was burning up.

I need to get back to Damon, she thought, reaching for the dress, slipping it on with ease. Hurriedly, hurriedly, she faltered her way around the immense phoenix nest, almost falling into Aspen, who gaped at her in wonder. Damon faced her, his eyes examining her from the distance, his face expressionless.

"I don't feel well," Theo breathed. "The firesap..."

"I have the cure here," Damon cut her off, revealing a small wooden chest in his hands. He unlatched the lid. "Reach in and take it," he said.

Theo stared in apprehension, but could not see what was inside. She looked up at Damon. His eyes returned her gaze, telling her that he was waiting.

Cautiously, her fingers sought what lay within the dark box. There, her fingertips brushed something and- strike!

Theo jerked away, her eyes widening as small, red drops welled from punctures in her skin. Too stunned to speak, she again looked at Damon, then followed his gaze down to the chest.

A head emerged, deep purple and topped with two ridged horns. It was the head of a small monigon. She gasped as she recognized it as a Needletooth monigon, the creature whose single bite could kill a man or cripple a horse.

Theo recoiled in fear as the animal continued to climb out.

Damon carelessly tossed the animal out into the reeds, causing both Theo and Aspen to flinch.

Damon stepped forward and grasped her hand to examine the bite marks.

"Relax," Damon said, but her breath was coming in short gasps now and her eyes were dilating. "Listen," he urged her, laying his hands on her shoulders. "The venom of the Needletooth monigon was the only thing that could save you. I knew you wouldn't have believed me so I had to do it this way."

Theo could barely hear him. A prickly feeling had come over her, as her vision failed.

Moments later she recovered to find that she was on the ground. Damon was kneeling before her, untying a leather bottle from his waist.

"Here, Sister," he said. "The venom and firesap within you are in battle to determine which will dominate. They are perfectly matched, and I predict that in a week they will wear out, leaving you entirely free of both. This elixir will ensure that you are kept safely suspended from the struggle."

"So you found a cure," she murmured distantly. "Now you can save all the dragons."

"No, Theo," Damon told her gently. "This cure will only help you. Dragons aren't vulnerable to the Needletooth's venom; their bodies would fight it off before it could have any effect." Again, he offered her the bottle in his hands. "Please drink this."

Warily, Theo shook her head.

"No," she whispered, moving his hand aside to stand up, steadying herself as she swayed. "Don't give me anything else, nothing else."

Damon rose as well, looking puzzled.

"But it will help you," he told her.

Overwhelmed, she touched her forehead and turned away from them. Wycker rooted himself in front of her.

Once, she had been of greater size than he, but now he was towering in comparison. At such close quarters, she had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes.

"Take the potion," Wycker commanded.

Theo stayed put, weighing a silent challenge, but knew it was no use. Reluctant and feeling cross, she took the flask from her brother. Removing the cork, Theo lifted the bottle to her lips, grimacing at the bitter fluid that sloshed inside. Yet, she began to feel better as soon as she forced it down.

"We need to get a move on," Wycker growled once Theo, coughing, had swallowed the last of the flask's contents.

"Yes," Damon agreed. "Come, follow me." He took the leather bottle from his sister and she miserably fell into step behind him.

The group made their way to a nearby tree, surrounded by the tall, veiling reeds. Tied to it, Theo was amazed to see, was her horse, fully saddled.

"Nigh!" she cried and rushed forward. "How is she here?" Theo eagerly pivoted her attention to Damon for an answer.

"I located her after you were caught up in the flash flood. Someone took care of her for me in your time of absence. A friend," Damon said, helping Theo into the saddle. "I gave your horse a concoction to make her fearless."

"Permanently?" she asked, surprised. She didn't catch his reply, but then, she wasn't sure if he had given one at all.

Nigh moved restlessly underneath Theo. Like a completely different horse, Nigh was unafraid in the presence of Wycker and Aspen.

"Thank you, Damon." Theo stroked the horse's mane, realizing just how much she had missed her.

"There's a battle taking place outside," Wycker reminded them impatiently.

Together, two dragons, two humans, and a horse journeyed closer to the halt of the simmergrass, with the sounds of war between man and beast growing ever louder. As they drew nearer, the intensity of the situation began to dawn on Theo. Tensely, she clenched handfuls of Nigh's mane as they came upon the battlefield.

Small grey heaps of smoldering phoenix bodies lay on the ground, many with arrows protruding from them. Among them were the knights, most still mounted on horses. The steeds reared and capered in terror of the numerous dragons that now struck full blows at any who stepped within reach.

They aren't using their fire, Theo noticed and then realized, It's because they don't want to hurt the men. Her respect for the dragons grew even more so.

"You have to go out there," Damon shouted over the battle cries. "Tell Chadwick to call the battle off!"

"Are you mad?!" she asked incredulously.

At this, Wycker bellowed deafeningly, and Damon slapped Nigh onward. At this signal, the dragons retreated and the petrified humans stared in shock as their princess came galloping out of the reeds.

Theo was stunned to silence. All around, her friends of the past years stood warily on their feet, their wings scratched, their bodies scored. They were clearly outnumbered. How obviously they were at a disadvantage, having been terribly weakened by the enduring drought that diminished their water supply and caused them great loss.

Scattered everywhere, the army of men seemed almost frozen in their attacks. Every one of them was clearly equipped and prepared for this fight, wielding swords, spears, bows and arrows, suited in special armor. They rode the bravest of horses, also suited specially for war. The faces of these men were hard for Theo to read as she passed them all so quickly.

As Theo saw all this, it came to her that both forces fought for her. Each and every fighter on the field fought for her freedom- only the dragons were the wiser ones. They knew the true situation of it all. They understood the misunderstood.

Theo was humbled.

From a distance she saw her brother. Seemingly unaware of the pause in battle, he struck out at a dragon who collapsed before him.

It was Sky.

"Chadwick!" Theo shouted, pulling to a stop in front of him. The king turned to his sister in bewilderment.

Her brother stared. His face was clouded and he blinked. "Theo," he breathed, as though in a dream.

"Call this battle off," Theo demanded. "You don't understand what you're doing!"

Then, as she spoke, she was struck by a remembrance of something. Without another word, she directed Nigh towards the exit of the valley and they bolted.

"Theora!" she heard her brother cry after her in desperation. She heard shouts behind her as she went.

Fearfully, she urged Nigh to go faster still. Nigh galloped through the rolling hills, over the Lower Bridge to the clearing where an honest man once stood, among the broken shackles of his friend.

Theo slid from the saddle, kneeling before the dust that bore the footprints of Tyrone, now nowhere to be seen. She reached out with her newly formed hands and tears slipped from her lashes onto them.

The sound of two dozen horses treading the bridge came from behind her. Slowly, she rose to meet her brother.

"What has become of Tyrone?" she asked.

Chadwick's regal air had returned, bringing upon him a stern face and firm posture. "The traitor, Tyrone," he spoke loudly, "has betrayed the kingdom of Wystil by releasing a prisoner, enemy to the throne. As such, I have banished him from all of Wystil and bid him never enter my presence again."

Theo closed her eyes, murmuring, "You blind fool...Tyrone has proved himself faithful as a peacemaker." Opening her eyes, she said louder, "He should be welcomed back and honored."

Chadwick snapped, "Now, sister, you've gone too far! In your absence our father fell ill and died, leaving me to take the throne and be crowned. Not you! It is I who make demands and call decrees, not you.

"I came running when evidence was found that you may still be alive. I fought fire-breathing beasts in your name, and yet! You pull me from a winning battle and call me a fool and a tyrant? What thanks is this?"

Theo was not swayed, when in former times she would have given way to his fury. Dignified, she mounted her own horse.

"The dragons are not our enemies," she said simply. "When caught by the flash flood, the dragons came to my aid, allowing me to stay within their residence for the time it took me to recover. They offered me their friendship and proved themselves loyal. No, the dragons are not our enemies. But brother, you made us theirs."

Chadwick walked alongside her, muttering, and then said more clearly, "Never did you send word to me of your wellbeing."

"Do not sound so bitter," Theo scoffed. "How could I have done that? Ask one of the dragons to take a visit at the castle and tell you that I was fine? I myself was not fit enough for the journey."

She and her brother rode in silence as Theo thought sadly of the dragons, hoping they were all being healed by the firesap fruit. She pictured Tyrone's face, wondering where it was he'd gone.

. . .

When they were greeted in the towns with cheers and celebration, Chadwick smiled beside her, but Theo did not feel much joy in her return. She saw the flags of blue and yellow that waved in celebration, and the petals of flowers strewn across the street, but her mind was in a different place- back with the dragons. And Tyrone, wherever he was.

She looked at Chadwick, who responded to the crowd's cheers with a mighty fist in the air.

I can never tell him the truth about River, she told herself. He's never kept an open mind, always been too stubborn.

He wouldn't want to believe it anyway. The truth would threaten his perceived victory. His pride is too fragile. Worse things could still happen.

As for Damon, if he wants to tell Chadwick who he is, I won't try to stop him. It's not my choice to make.

In the back of her mind, Theo believed that Damon would never end up telling Chadwick about himself. But she did not wish to dwell on the fact that her family would never be complete in that way.

When night came, and she was finally able to escape to her chambers, she did so with only her lady in waiting accompanying her.

"I've long awaited your return, Princess," said the young woman, smiling warmly and opening the door.

Upon entrance, she was startled to hear Tyrone's voice say, "Welcome back, River."

Her servant screamed and fled, crying, "Demon!"

Theo saw that the voice came from a small wyvern, marble white with beady red eyes.

It was Ivory, clinging to the curtains, standing out against the deep purple of the fabric as she watched Theo.

Theo exhaled with a smile and came near, saying nothing for a moment, enlightened.

He knows.

"Thank you, Friend," she whispered, as she guided Ivory to the windowsill with her hand. "I hope to see you again." As the last words left her mouth, she pressed her fingertips against her lips.

The wyvern blinked, as though memorizing her response, then departed on wing. Theo watched her soar over roof tops like a kite, ascending until she blinked out as one of the stars that hung in the dark sky.

Go, she silently willed the messenger. Return to your master.
Chapter 30

Months after her return, Theo was visited by Wycker at night in the courtyard. Passing by a castle wall, she jumped as she heard him speak.

"The Colony is leaving."

He was standing perfectly still, letting his midnight blue camouflage hide him up against the sky. Theo had mistaken his eyes for distant stars.

She stopped, not looking up. "What do you mean?" she murmured, scuffing the cobblestone ground with her foot so as not to look suspicious if anyone observed her.

"The Colony can no longer be supported by our land's past resources. We have agreed upon the decision to migrate in search for a more suitable environment, leaving all that is left to the rogues. I have been asked to deliver this message to you and invite you come bid us farewell."

"Oh..." Theo was surprised that Wycker would do such a favor.

Chadwick would never allow me to go, she knew, but she couldn't turn down her one chance to say goodbye to her friends.

I'll have to sneak out.

"We leave at dawn," Wycker finished.

"I'll be there," Theo affirmed.

She evaded the groomsmen as she slipped in to get her horse. Nigh nickered in greeting, waiting patiently for Theo to figure out how to ready her. Finally, Nigh was set and Theo held her breath on their way out of the castle, relieved to not be called to stop.

Swiftly, she rode across the fields and over Swaineford Bridge. She followed a path into the forest, her eyes almost useless in the darkness.

I still haven't adjusted to this lack of night vision, she thought as it took her a considerable amount of staring to confirm that she was where she needed to be.

She dismounted Nigh.

"Sorry," she whispered as she tied the horse to a nearby tree. "I'll be back later."

She wasn't too worried about leaving Nigh behind. Whatever Damon had done to make Nigh fearless, it seemed to have lasted. Theo hadn't seen her steed shy away from anything since the day they were reunited.

Theo slipped down the steep slope into the dried up bed of Iron Creek. She felt around with her hands until she found the Archway and passed under it. Now she could see nothing.

It's so dark, she marveled, turning her head in all directions. Clouds must have rolled in.

She walked onwards slowly, one foot after the other, following the wash with confidence of what she'd find in the end.

She could only guess when she had exited the valley, getting the peculiar feeling of sudden immense space opening up around her.

Halting for a moment, she focused her hearing on the sound of wind embracing the trees, shaking their naked branches. She shivered as the restless winter air danced around her as well, teasing her, pulling at her hair and dress. The cold still came to her as a shock. Without her cover of scales, she felt bare and exposed- though it had been a whole season since she had shed her reptilian form.

"Sister," Damon's voice emerged from the immeasurable darkness before her.

"Damon?" Theo responded, looking around futilely. "How can you see me in this dark?"

"A wizard has his ways," he answered, his voice close by.

"Do you have a torch, perhaps?" she asked.

"I left it with Xander. He is in my shelter, watching over his sister as she sleeps."

"Will they come to bid the Colony farewell?"

"Xander thinks it would be too hard on his sister. He prefers that she not even know about it."

"...but the dragons are like family to her," Theo murmured. How sad she will be! What will the children do with the Colony gone?

"Theora!"

Theo heard Aspen exclaim in a loud whisper. The sound of four-legged footsteps drew near and Theo could sense the dragon's presence.

"Aspen..." Theo processed. "You aren't leaving with the Colony, are you..." As she thought about it, she realized she'd never seen Aspen at Camp.

"I couldn't leave this place," Aspen expressed.

Theo nodded. I wish I could see her face, she thought, but the most she could do was try to look in the direction of her voice.

"We should go," she said, anxiety slithering inside of her.

Together, the three of them followed the core of the creek bed. Theo, alone, could see nothing still, and every so often she felt the gentle touch of her brother, guiding her around whatever lay in her path.

Here I am, she thought, depending on Damon once again.

At some point along their route, Theo detected a strong aroma that prickled her nose.

"What is that scent?" she asked quietly.

"Firesap amber," Damon replied. "The rogues ran into Camp in a rampage and burnt down all the firesap plants."

"Oh..." Theo tried to hold her breath, as the scent was too strong for her.

As they walked onwards, the clamoring din of ocean waves ramming against colossal cliffs slowly grew louder. Theo could tell they'd reached their destination even before the voice of Sky sweetened her ears.

"My Friend!"

Theo knew, just by the sound of it, that Sky was smiling. The shattering tide shook her entire body.

"Sky, how good it is to hear your voice," Theo spoke stirringly, over the rushing sound of water gathering for another wave. "Are you alone?"

"No," Jacinth spoke from the dark as another wave smashed into a sheer wall of earth. "There are many of us here."

Theo shielded her eyes as flames lit up not far from her, unfolding from Jacinth's mouth. They vanished quickly, but it was long enough for her to see the great number of dragons along the edge of the cliffs, peering at her. With the fleeting glimpse of them came a chorus of their greetings.

No one called her River.

I'm not one of them anymore, she thought in a sad way. And I'll never see them again after this.

She nodded meekly in acknowledgment to them, finding that she could not speak. Her eyes stung and tears swelled to perch on her eyelashes.

"Do you...know where you're headed?" She found her voice, though her throat constricted around her words and resisted in letting them go.

"Over the sea." It sounded like Adder's voice.

Theo's eyes opened wider. "That's it?" she asked, not wanting to believe the raw vagueness of his response. "No direction? No idea where you'll land- or if you'll ever land?"

The dragons said nothing, inviting an uncomfortable silence to come and settle over them. Ocean spray of the next splintering wave misted her face and she could taste the salt on her lips.

It would be pointless to offer them a place in Wystil, she knew sullenly. Chadwick would never allow it and the dragons would never accept it.

Ever so gradually, the sky lightened as the sun climbed Theo's back, and she was slowly able to see. First just by dark shapes, then more and more details were etched in, filling the world with beautiful eccentricities the human eye sometimes forgot to appreciate.

Theo saw that most of the dragons had lost interest in her, clustering into small groups. Aspen stood with Lichen and Oriole, discussing things with sincere expressions on their faces, while Damon talked to Adder nearby.

Only Sky and Jacinth had their attention on Theo. She met them as they approached, grateful to finally be able to see.

Sky beamed at her and Theo was again struck by the beauty and depth of her expressions.

"How are you fairing back in Wystil?" the blue dragon asked. She still talked to her as though they were the best of friends- like it didn't matter to her whether Theo was human or dragon.

She is a true friend, Theo knew. Overwhelmed by love and longing, she threw her arms around Sky's solid neck in embrace, let go, and did the same to Jacinth. When she stood back again she could feel the tears streaming from her face.

"I've never known anyone like you before," she told them both, lips quivering as she smiled weakly. "You've taught me so much...Thank you."

"We've been through a great deal together," Sky responded humbly. "Thank you for helping me through those hard times."

Jacinth nodded. "It was nice knowing you, Princess Theora," she said.

Theo muffled a laugh. "I liked River better," she confessed. As she thought about it, she was brought back to sadness- reminded that she'd never be called by that name again.

She noticed Wycker standing at the rim of the earth, staring out at sea, alone. With the sun peeping over the mountains, causing the long shadows of trees to stretch out and veil the dragon's faces, the Colony raised their heads apprehensively.

Theo could see the dragons' warm breath in the nippy morning air. She was somberly humored, thinking, It's like a gentle, harmless form of fire breathing.

Wycker turned to the others. "Come on," he growled. "There's nothing left that binds us to this land."

Colonists joined him as he gathered his haunches and took off without another word, beating his wings towards the grey horizon.

"Farewell, Theora," Adder spoke from where he stood with Damon, and she met his solemn eyes.

She nodded to him with a tender smile, admiring his mighty lift off, watching as he soared over sunlit waters.

Theo walked with Sky and Jacinth to the edge, only now realizing how significantly the tide had settled since the sun rose. Looking down from the top of the towering cliffs, Theo thought, If I fall, so be it. She trusted in Sky or Jacinth to catch her.

"You never did take that leap with me off these cliffs," Sky reminded her lightheartedly and Theo laughed.

Spreading her arms, she joked, "Would you like me to now?"

Then, from the woods came a cry.

"Jacinth!"

As they turned, little Damara came running towards them, Xander hot on her heels. She showed no signs of stopping before Xander caught her from behind, holding her firmly though she fought and screamed, eyes streaming.

Theo watched alongside Sky as Jacinth approached the small girl, who now leaned against her brother's weight in submission, weeping.

"Your brother will take care of you," Jacinth whispered, nudging Damara with her muzzle.

"No, no..." Damara whimpered. "Jacinth!"

The deep red dragon gave her a sad but reassuring smile, turning back and opening her bat-like wings.

"I'll never forget you," Sky told Theo, taking to the air with Jacinth.

"Goodbye!" Theo called after them.

Goodbye, she told herself, thinking of River. The slate grey dragon might as well have been leaving with the rest of the Colony, swooping out of view.

Now only she, Damon, Aspen, and the children were left. Theo pitied Damara. Having just witnessed her family abandon her for the unknown, the child wept, depending solely on her grim faced brother to hold her up.

Cautiously, Theo approached.

"Xand- um...child," Theo spoke quietly, almost forgetting that he had never met her in her human form.

Xander looked up at her as he set Damara down on the ground and straightened up.

"You're...are you..." he struggled to find the right words.

"I am Princess Theora," she answered, knowing well what he was trying to ask.

"Oh." Xander stared at her.

Damara was silent now, seemingly dead to everything around her. It didn't even look like she noticed Theo standing there.

"Is there a place I can take you to?" Theo asked. "I have a horse nearby."

Xander looked hesitant as he thought.

"I'm not taking my little sister back to my parents," he said finally, undeniably firm.

"So be it," Theo replied, hiding her relieved approval. Thinking quickly, she offered, "We have need of a stablehand at the castle."

"Really?" he asked, face brightening. Then, "Oh." He must have realized something, for his enthusiasm dampened. "What about my sister?"

"Your sister..." Theo pretended to get distracted for a moment, allowing herself time to think. "...can help in the kitchen."

"The kitchen..." Xander nodded slowly. "You can learn how to cook, Damara."

Damara still failed to react, staring off dejectedly.

Too much has happened to that girl...Theo thought. Born to a violent drunkard and his weak-minded wife, then stolen away and brought into a life full of dragons, only to be abandoned by them in the end...At least she has her brother. She's always had her brother.

Xander followed Theo, leading Damara by the hand. Damon brought up the rear with Aspen.

When they reached Damon's shelter, Theo was reminded of the very first time she'd entered dragon territory. She remembered how she had to wait for Damon to arrive, who turned out to be tending to her horse after saving her life. All the things he had done for her! Searching for cures to restore her to her human form and free her of the firesap...She was filled with gratitude.

"Damon," she said, stopping to turn to him. He stood there, waiting for her to speak, his dusty brown hair covering the majority of his face as always.

This is my brother! she told herself, gazing up at him in love. All at once, she rushed forward to embrace him, though beetles fled from his garments.

"What's she doing, Damon?" Aspen asked nervously. "Is that normal?"

Damon stood there awkwardly with Theo's arms around him. Shaking his head in a daze, he answered, "Not for me."

Theo laughed, squeezing him a little harder just before letting go and stepping back to look at him. She smiled, reaching up to brush the hair from his face so that she could see his light grey eyes more clearly.

"Please refrain," he mumbled, raking the hair back to where it was. She dropped her hand back down, respecting his discomfort.

"I know I haven't been the most pleasant to you for the three years or so since I've known you," she told him. "But I can't even express my gratitude for all that you've done for me. Thank you. You are so gifted, Damon."

Modestly, he nodded. Under his dark matting of hair, she could see that his eyes were averted.

He shows his love through actions, not words, she thought. Turning to Aspen she said, "And thank you for getting me out of that flash flood."

The tendril green dragon smiled bashfully. "Of course," she responded, tilting her head.

Theo took one last look at the two of them.

"I know you don't want to return to Wystil," she said to her brother. "And I won't tell anyone of you, if that is what you wish."

Damon nodded. "That is what I prefer."

Theo understood. She laid River and Damon away in her mind, knowing well that they settled better as secrets. Then she breathed in deep.

"Farewell," she spoke to Damon and Aspen. "I'd be glad to lend you my services, if ever wizardry falls short."

Behind her, Xander crouched in front of his younger sister, trying to talk to her though she stared dispiritedly down at the ground. Theo approached them.

"Are you ready?" she asked Xander and he looked up at her.

He nodded, brushing his hand over his eyes as though ashamed of the tears that threatened to flood them.

Theo had the children walk in front of her, through the dead valley where crackling iron bond plants dipped low above their heads. Eventually Xander picked up his sister, carrying her as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Theo saw the child's desolate gaze focus in on her and she halted for a moment, taken by surprise.

How very biting her eyes are!

They lingered on her for mere seconds, before the little girl let them drop to watch the dry trail they left behind.

They stepped under the Archway to find Nigh still standing, steadfast beside the tree she was tied to. Theo helped the children up into the saddle first before using the tree to boost herself up behind them.

The three of them were silent as they rode back to the lives they'd left behind. Theo saw how protectively Xander held his sister and couldn't help but think of Chadwick.

Dutifully, she focused herself on fulfilling her promise to Xander as they came upon the castle of Wystil. Soon she had seen to it that both he and his sister had jobs along with a place in the servant's house.

All is well, she tried to convince herself, waving away her concerned servants as she returned to her chambers to get some sleep.

Lying down on the bed, she knew that this was the end of what people would be talking about for centuries to come.

This was the end of the Dragon Slave.

Special Thanks to

Mom

Dear Readers,

Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave me a review at your preferred retailer. I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again.

  * Delaney Walnofer

About the Author

Delaney Walnofer, born in California in 1998, started planning her novel, Dragon Slave, at age eleven and finished writing it at age fifteen. She attends a wonderfully small, agriculturally-based high school, while concurrently studying American Sign Language at a college. She is a Christian and takes part in a Covenant Church. Delaney also spends her time listening to vinyl with her dad, discussing new ideas with her mom as they walk their dog, and drawing animals such as dragons and her pet beetle.

She dedicates her novel to its readers in hopes that they will enjoy it in their own way.

Please Note:

This book is the first volume of the Dragon Slave Trilogy. If you enjoyed it, please consider reading the second, Dragon Clutch, and the third, Dragon Fool. Thank you.

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