"Jaelyn! Wake up!" a desperate, rushed voice says in my ear. "You need to wake up! Right now!"

I groan, rolling over. Not now, Adalie. All I want to do is lay here and sleep away my misery.

I feel hands on my shoulders, shaking me awake. "Wake up!" Adalie insists one more time before rolling me out of bed.

I land with a thump on the wood floor. Okay, now I'm mad. "Adalie! Why did you have to do that!? I'm taking this whole thing a lot harder than you, the least you could do is let me sleep a little longer. I'll catch up on my chores later, okay?" I blurt out in anger. But then I notice the expression on her face.

She looks somewhat nervous, a little excited, maybe even a little scared. I hesitate. "What's happening?" I ask slowly.

"There's a dragon rider out in the square! He's asking for you! I think it's one of the guys from sorting day!" she speaks excitedly, quickly. "Almost the whole town is already out near the fountain!"

I feel a little flutter of nerves in my chest. "Really?" I ask breathlessly.

"Yes! Really! Do you honestly think I would joke about this!?"

"Well, then, leave so I can get ready!" I exclaim, shooing her out of my room and shutting the door behind her. I slump against the door, sighing in relief. She hadn't seen the baby dragon sleeping in the corner.

A Dragon Rider, here. They must know about my dragon. They must have come to get me. That, or they think I kidnapped it and they're here to arrest me and take me to the king's dungeons.

Well, only one way to find out. I quickly dress into a comfortable tunic and trousers, something most girls in the village would never dress in, and readjust the blankets to better hide my dragon before heading towards the door. I am halfway across the threshold into the hallway before I open .

Adalie wasn't kidding when she said that most of the town was out here. A massive crowd was gathered around a mass of glittering silver scales and sharp claws and leathery wings. A very bored-looking dragon rider sits on his back, brightening when he sees me emerging hesitantly from my house. He swiftly dismounts his dragon and starts making his way towards me, pushing through the crowd.

He looks to be only about my age, and yet he is already riding a dragon, sent on a mission to the town already, no less. Interesting.

He finally pushes out into the clearing, his dragon following close behind. The crowd tries to surround him again, but the dragon spreads it's wings and angrily lashes it's tail, sending them skittering back with a collective gasp.

He quickly scans me over, the smile never leaving his face as he approaches me.

"Hey, where's your dragon?" he asks once he is standing right in front of me.

"Uh- my dragon?"

"Yeah, go get her! We're taking you to the Academy, so pack up!"

WHAT!? What is wrong with this rider!? Just showing up and telling me I'm going to the Academy and expecting me to believe that the stone was wrong without even an explanation!?

He must have noticed my expression, because he sighs and starts talking again. "Just grab your dragon and pack up, the headmaster will explain everything when we get there."

Unable to say anything, I simply turn around and head back to my house.

"Oh, and don't worry! We'll have advanced medical treatment for her once we get to the Academy!" he calls after me.

I freeze. How did they know about her injuries? Actually, how did they know about her at all? This is really strange. Is this some sort of test? I slowly turn around.

"How did you know about her injuries?" I ask slowly. He sighs impatiently.

"The Academy is magical, remember? We have our ways," he says vaguely, "Now hurry up and go get your dragon. I need to get you back to the Academy by midday, and if I mess up my first mission I'll have to wait another year before being able to do anything actually interesting. Oh, and you don't really need to bring anything unless you have some sentimental heirloom or something. The Academy provides uniforms and casual clothes, as well as anything else you may need."

I turn and run back to the inn, dashing through the main eating area, up the stairs, and into my room. I grab a small leather satchel with a shoulder strap, before hesitating. I don't really have anything here of real sentimental value. Everything I have is really just clothes, a hairbrush, and other necessities. I put on the bag anyway just in case I might find anything of interest at the Academy.

I turn to my dragon. She's woken up, and is looking around. At least she's strong enough to lift her head. I can feel her confusion through the bond, her fear. This makes me upset for some reason I can't name. I guess I just want to protect her. She should never feel afraid. Not as long as I am alive. No one will ever dare to hurt her. A new feeling courses through my veins. This dragon is part of me. Her soul is just as important to treasure as mine, if not more. It feels powerful. NOTHING will get in my way if anything is trying to hurt her. I will find a way to save her, no matter what. As if sensing this new motivation, my dragon turns her head and her eyes meet mine.

Power surges through the bond. Emotion. Love. That's when I realized that there's a reason why my emotions are so strong. Because they're her emotions. And mine. No, her emotions are mine. She feels the same protective urge, the same love, the same oneness. We will go to the Academy. We will strengthen our bond. We will protect Irin, our home continent, and others like us. I stride to her, picking up the bundle of blankets she resides in, but she shakes off the blankets and climbs onto my shoulder. I feel the starbursts of pain her still-healing wounds are giving off, but I also feel her resolve to be proud while going to the Academy, not held bundled up like a weakling. She straightens her back and half-unfolds her already-magnificent blue-green wings. I also straighten my posture to a proud stance, and we walk up the hall, down the stairs, and out the door. I hear a collective gasp as her glittering scales catch the light. I see my father and Adelie watching from next to the inn, and I approach them with a confident stride.

"Jaelyn......" Adelie trails off in an awe-struck, confused tone, staring at the dragon on my shoulder. I understand her confusion. The stone didn't light up for me.

My father just smiles sadly at me. "You're leaving, then?" he asks.

"Yes. Dad, I don't have a choice. And if I did...... Daddy, this is my dream. I'll miss you so much, but I have to do this," I say. He nods. Then he reaches for something in his back pocket, pulling out a long dagger. A long, beautiful dagger. It's hilt has a large green gem embedded on the end, likely an emerald, and the part of the dagger where the hilt meets the blade is shaped like a dragon head, breathing carved flames onto the silvery blade.

I gasp, gingerly reaching out to grab the dark leather handle. "What....." I trail off, not knowing what to say.

"It's for you. It was... it was your mother's," my father says with a sorrowful tone. I tear up at this. My father never speaks of my mother, and my siblings and I had learned not to ask.

"Why would she...... was she a dragon rider?" I ask in astonishment. He nods again.

"She died in a great battle. It broke my heart. I swore to raise you well, but it hurt too much to speak of her. I should have known you or your brother would follow in her footsteps, but..... I can't bear to lose another person I care about. Please come home safe, and take care of your brother. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to either one of you. This was her favourite blade, her weapon of choice, and she fought with it to the end. Treasure it. Treasure your dragon. Just don't forget about us," he says, his voice rich with emotion. I just simply nod, too stunned for words, and bring him into a tight hug, my dragon still steadily perched on my shoulder. I do the same for Adalie.

"Goodbye. I love you," I whisper through tears, before turning around and walking towards the rider, towards my new fate.