I yawned, half my hair short, half of it long. It had been two days since we had captured Pegasus, and the storms were getting worse. Last night had been the only night there wasn't a storm to rock the Dream Catcher. Jason was at training, much to my dislike. Tyler hadn't stopped pestering me about it since I gave Jason a knife.

"You can't keep him safe if he can't fight." He had said. I had grudgingly let him train Jason. I moved the scissors up to my hair, leaning close to the mirror. With a clean snip, more hair fell onto the counter. Suddenly, the ship shook, thunder rumbling outside. I was thrown off my feet. The scissors slipped in my hand. With a sharp intake of breath, I grabbed some toilet paper and wrapped it around the cut across the palm of my hand. I quickly finished evening my hair then opened the cabinet to find a bandage. I opened the First-aid kit to find it empty. I cursed under my breath and pulled on a shirt, wincing slightly as it rubbed my still hurting shoulder. I brushed hair off my shoulder and pulled off the blood covered toilet paper on my hand. Keeping my hand elevated, I ran outside. I walked down the hallway to the medical room. I knocked on the door. It swung open before I finished knocking.

"What?" snapped a tired, stressed looking Sean. He blinked few times, his face relaxing. "Oh, Kayla. It's you. What do you need?" I held up my hand.

"First-aid kit's empty. Got any bandages?" I asked. He motioned me in. I waited by the doorway as he scrummaged around in his cabinets.

"How'd you cut yourself?" He asked. I smirked a little.

"I tried to cut my hair during a thunderstorm." I said. Sean let out a laugh, closing the cabinet with bandages in hand.

"Not the brightest." He said playfully. He took my hand gently and carefully wrapped the bandage around it.

"I am a blonde." I joked. He smiled, not looking up from his work. I sighed. "I'm more cuts and bruises than human."

"Most people here are. Not as bad as Jade, though." Sean said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Jade?" I questioned. I knew everyone on board, and never had I heard of Jade.

"Oh, I thought you knew. He came in yesterday with a nasty bite in side. Drakon, I think." He said. I clenched the fist Sean wasn't holding. I bit my tongue. Whoever this Jade kid was, he was lucky to be alive. Sean glanced up at my face, the slightest bit of fear lighting his gaze.

"You'll get to meet him today. He's on the team that's taking Pegasus down to get some exercise, I think." He tried to continue nonchalantly, like he hadn't noticed my surge of anger. I tried for a smile but it came off as more of a grimace. Sean finished bandaging my hand and I got up.

"Thanks." I said. He nodded.

"No problem." He replied. I didn't meet his brown eyes as I turned around and left the room. I went back to my room and pulled on my sheath. I just finished positioning it when Jason came flying in the room. I caught him before he could fall. He took a second to catch his breath before answering my unasked question.

"Tyler says I can go with you guys." He said between breaths.

"What? Is he crazy?" I asked, loading my gun and putting it in the strap on my belt.

"I met Pegasus today and he seemed to like me. He listened to me and everything. It's like I said before! Surely they aren't all bad! You just have to..." Jason trailed off when he saw the look on my face.

"Please let me go. I can help!" He begged. I sighed and rubbed the bandages on my hand.

"I know you want to go, but the Drakon is on the loose again, and I don't want to loose you!" I told him. His hand drifted to the scar on his face. I expected him to back out, but I had underestimated him.

"All the more reason for me not to let you go alone. They have very good memories, Drakons do." Jason stated.

"Fine." I groaned. I handed him a gun and we went out onto the main deck. Pegasus was already there, bridle on his face, wings strapped to his body. Jason walked up to him and rubbed his nose. Pegasus nuzzled Jason with his head and Jason laughed. Tyler made a face but didn't say anything. A boy my age with dark brown hair and grey eyes walked up to us, arms crossed. I could see the lump in his side where the bandages were. He caught me looking and raised a hand for me to shake.

"Jade." He said. I took his hand and shook it.

"Kayla." I replied. Jade glanced at Jason, who was rubbing Pegasus's head.

"That's my brother. Jason." I explained. At the sound of his name, Jason turned to look at me, revealing his scar. Jade glanced at it, then at me, and understanding dawned on his face.

"You said your name was Kayla, right?" He asked. I nodded, immediately suspicious of Jade. Tyler cleared his throat.

"Right. Let's go." He said as the Dream Catcher touched down. I grabbed the ropes on Pegasus bridle and led him off the ship. I could tell he was excited to be in the fresh air again. His steps were uneven and he was constantly stretching his neck and trying to eat the grass. We were far out of the destroyed cities in a place called National Park. At least that's what the broken sign says. I led Pegasus to the water's edge and he immediately began drinking. I glanced around warily as Pegasus grazed hungrily. I usually wasn't nervous, but the Drakon was on the prowl, and it never let it's prey live. And if there were three of us in the same place, out in the open, there was no way he wasn't goin to come. Pegasus froze where he was, his ears standing straight. He raised his head and looked around. His eyes were wide and he gave a nervous neigh. I pressed my hand to his side. His thoughts were in an array, he didn't even know I was listening.

"He's coming! Oh no, oh no, oh no! I need to get out of here! But what about Jason? Oh, they would never let me go! He's coming!" He thought. I understood at once. I spun to face Jade and Tyler.

"The Drakon's coming." I said.

"What?" Jason asked. He was drowned out by a massive roar. Unlike any dragon, massive, impenetrable scales. Eyes that freeze you to the spot. Some say he can't fly, those of us who have seen him know otherwise. He can also tunnel underground, meaning we didn't know where he was coming from. Then the ground shook.

"HE'S UNDER US!" Jade shouted, like we needed to know that. Pegasus ripped himself away from me and tried to run to Jason, who was running to him, knife in hand to cut him free.

"Jason!" I cried, running forward as well. The ground exploded and the massive Drakon flew from the ground. Pegasus gave a terrified neigh and I was thrown backwards with him. Jason was thrown up into the air, the Drakon following him. Tyler and Jade shot at the beast, but it didn't make a difference. Without thinking, I cut Pegasus's wings free and jumped onto his back. He took off into the air, me riding along. Pegasus was fast. In a matter of nerve racking heartbeats ,were diving to catch Jason before the Drakon caught him in his mouth. His eyes wide in fear, he reached out to us. Pegasus made a spiraling nose dive as thunder rumbled over head. The Drakon was momentarily distracted and we were able to grab Jason. My arm pulled painfully, and with a groan I was able to pull him up. He swung his leg around and sat on Pegasus's back with me. Lightning flashed across the sky and struck the Drakon. It let out an angry roar and dived under the ground again. We started down towards the ground, Jason clutching me.

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." He kept saying, over and over again.

"It's okay, I..." I was cut off when the ground erupted once more and the Drakon's massive tail swung through the air.

"NO!"

I was free-falling. There was nothing beneath me but air. I saw the Drakon fly away, Pegasus spiraling, wings working frantically to stop himself. Where was Jason? I couldn't see him. Then there was a splash of cold. It felt solid, so why wasn't it the ground? How come I sank through? Then I realized I couldn't breathe. My body hurt too much to do anything but lay limp in the water. Then hands dragged me out. I cough and spluttered, pulling myself farther onto the shore. Pegasus lay injured up further to my right.

"Jason." I coughed. I pushed away hands and pushed myself onto my feet. I stumbled along until I found where Jason lay. I fell to my knees. He lay half in the water, his legs floating, his blue eyes staring, unseeingly at the sky. I shook him slightly.

"Come on, Jason. Wake up. It's time to go back. Jason? Please! Wake up!' I cried, throwing myself across his chest. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Kayla, he isn't waking up." Tyler said.

"No!" I choked. "I didn't fail! I kept my promise! Jason! No, Jason, don't leave me here! No! He isn't....." I couldn't make myself say the word. I continued to sob, my head pressed against his still chest, wishing that by some miracle it would start moving again.

"Jason......no.....get up....wake up.....please....don't leave me....you can't....no...." I said in between sobs. There was a hole in my heart. I was empty inside. Pegasus limped over to us and pressed his muzzle against Jason's face. A harness was thrown back on Pegasus who didn't even flinch. Tyler gently took my arms and pulled me away from Jason. I was practically carried back to the Dream Catcher, Jason's limp form was being carried by Jade. I moved to take him from Jade, but Tyler stiffened his arms, not allowing me to move. My head was vibrating with the sounds of the Drakon, and my throat hurt, but no tears fell anymore. It was as if I was out of tears. Numb to the world, Tyler took me into the Dream Catcher and in to my room where he sat me down on the bed. Jason was taken away to the Preservation Chamber. I didn't move. I couldn't move. Pegasus was taken back to the cages. The Dream Catcher flew on. The Drakon never leaves it's prey unmarked. Jade had a scar, Jason had had a scar, and now I had a scar. My heart was scarred, my soul beaten and now without purpose. Jason believed everything could be good, even the Myths. He had trusted Pegasus, and Pegasus came through. He would always go down to the cage room and talk to his favorite Myths. He trusted them and they always came through, in the end. I remembered when we caught one of his favorite Myths, the Nimeran Lion. It was only a cub, and he cared for it and loved it. He trusted it. And when we were under attack by the cub's parents, the cub refused to let them hurt Jason or me. He trusted the cub and it came through. Jason trusted me, and I failed him. My stomach hardened and my heart turned into steel.

"Jason, I haven't failed you yet." I declared. I got to my feet. I tightened the sword's strap that held it to my back and realized that something was in my hand; Jason's knife. I gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, drawing strength from the memories it held. I grabbed the satchel of food, water, and medical supplies that was issued in every room and slung in across my shoulder. I ran out of the room. I slowed myself down so as not to look suspicious, putting on the strap of the satchel. I slipped Jason's knife up my sleeve so that no one knew I had it. I made my way to the Preservation Chamber. I opened the door and slipped inside the cold room. There were hundreds of tables made with the latest technology. On each table, there was a person. I located Jason. The table's kept the corpse preserved, so that they never decayed. I hardened my stomach and cut the cables of Jason's table. Alarms went off and I grabbed Jason. I held his cold, still body in my arms and ran out of the room. I raced for the cage room, not looking at Jason. I kicked the controls of the door and it slid open. I used Jason's knife to break the lock on Pegasus's cage. I cut off Pegasus's harness and he ran out of the cage. I jumped on his back, still holding Jason.

"Get us out of here!" I ordered. Pegasus's started generating lightning. I expected it to shock me, but it didn't. Pegasus reared up and the wall of the Dream Catcher exploded, struck with lightning. "Go go go!" I shouted. Behind us, the door slid open and soldiers were running in. Pegasus ran for the opening in the ship's hull. We jumped from the ship and Pegasus spread his wings. Soon, we were speeding away from the ship, the rain from the approaching storm drenching us.

"Where to?" Pegasus asked. Since I was touching him, I could hear his thoughts.

"Take us to Braz Isle." I said. Pegasus shuddered slightly.

"Isn't that the home of the Jungle Elves?" He asked. Then he understood. He put on a burst of speed that made me grab hold of his mane. Jason's eyes were open and staring unseeingly into the dark sky. I bit my lip and closed his eyes. I kissed his still forehead. His cold skin seemed to suck the life out of my lips and I pulled away, tears forming in my eyes.

"Please hurry, Pegasus. Before it's too late." I begged. Pegasus pinned his ears against his head and his muscles tensed. Soon, we were moving like lightning. I had never moved so fast before in my life. My muscles clenched just to stay on Pegasus as we flew across the sky at the speed of light.