She was dreaming, and in the dream, she was flying. She looked down, and she was on a silver back,I between two powerful shoulder blades, and flapping wings. In front of her was a triangle head, in back, a familiar whiplike tail with a tuft on the end. Amelia screamed, looking for something to hold onto. She slid on the slippery scales, landing behind the ampithere's head. She gripped the feathered frill tightly.

"Wait, it's you." She marveled, recognizing the dragon from her dream. The dragon sqwauked in aknowledgement.

"Listen," the voice slipped into her head, as if she was thinking it. "I'm in grave danger, and you will be too."

"I'm in no danger thank you very much." Amelia snorted, "I just had a marvelous birthday."

"You must find me," the voice continued, as if it had not heard her, "come to the mountains on Galaxy, my life may depend on it."

"Well, I do care about you. We are in your debt."

"It maybe dangerous,"

"I don't care. I'll come."

"Fine, leave immediately." The dragon concluded, and dipped its nose down into a dive. Amelia screamed again, clutching the feathers tightly. Her eyes snapped open. She was in her room. She looked down in her hand, and a large white feather was clutched between her fingers. She looked at the ampithere figurine on her bedside table.

^I will go.^ She thought defiantly. She got up and slid out of her pajamas, jumping into a tee shirt and Jeans. She slid a satchel over her shoulder, and inserted a pencil and a sketchbook. She walked into the kitchen and pack a couple apples, a sandwhich, and a carrot for Galaxy. 

"Look who's up early," rumbled a voice. Amelia whipped around to see her grandfather, holding a saddle and reins. Amelia took them gratefully. 

"How did you know?" She whispered.

"I know things. But you must go now, good luck to you." He replied. Amelia nodded, and turned to leave, but felt a hand on her shoulder. "Here, you may need this," the old man handed her a silver dagger, with a gem studded hilt. He handed her a sheath. Amelia nodded gratefully and slid the sheath unto her belt, and the dagger into the sheath.

"Thanks grandpa." She kissed him on the cheek and strode out the door, feeling his gaze burn into her back. She was growing up. ^what am I getting myself into?^ she thought as she saddled up Galaxy, ^if ampitheres are real, what else is?^ she mounted her horse and jumped the fence, making her trot up to the top of the hill. She turned back and waved, knowing her grandfather would be waving back. 

She kicked galaxy's sides, and galloped over the hill. Her grandfather watched her go. He clutched his sides and shivered, even though it wasn't cold. The room seemed to darken.

"I just hope the dagger will be enough to protect her," he mumbled, biting his lip. Amelia's dad came into the room.

"Where's Amelia?" He asked nervously. Amelia's mother came in too.

"She left," the grandfather mumbled, and the mother ran out with a cry.

"AMELIA!!!!" She screamed, sinking to her knees.

"She'll come back," explained the grandfather, putting his hand on her shoulder, "there is something she must do."

Amelia knew the mountain wasn't far. She had been riding for Two hours, and they had slowed to a trot, then a walk. Galaxy was tired.

"Woah," Amelia murmered, pulling on the reins. The horse stopped, and Amelia slid off. They were next to a river. Amelia realized with a jolt it was the very same river her grandfather slid into three years ago. Her first meeting with the dragon, who she hasn't met since, until last night. Amelia carefully let her horse drink, and drank herself, then she fed galaxy the carrot, and settled down to eat a sandwhich and an apple while Galaxy grazed, thethered to a tree a little ways away. 

Amelia glanced up from her lunch. She could see the mountains looming up like a foreboding wall. She swallowed. It would only take an hours journey to reach there. Amelia wolfed down the rest of her sandwhich, and fed the core to Galaxy. She untied the horse and mounted, setting off again. 

One hour later, there they were. Amelia stared up at the ominous jagged cliffs as she dismounted Galaxy. She gave the horse a reassuring pat. 

"I'll be back soon buddy," she whispered, as she thethered the horse to a large spire of rock shooting up out of the grass. The horse snorted and began grazing. Amelia smiled. She secured the satchel on her shoulder and started scaling the mountain. She heard a screech from above that startled her so bad she almost fell, slipping and hanging by a hand. She heard a scared whinny below, and looked down, so far down, and saw Galaxy looking nervously up. 

Amelia kicked with her legs, finding a ledge and pulling herself back up. She heard another screech. Something was in pain. Her first thought, The dragon. Her second thought, it was defiantly in danger. Amelia pulled herself up farther, scraping her palm on a sharp rock. She clutched it tightly, and continued up, face grim. She managed to pull herself onto a large ledge.

Amelia panted, clenching and unclenching her injured hand. She looked up and gasped, almost stumbling off the edge (again). A large black dragon with glimmering scales was there, and it had a paw poised above the ampithere, paws! He had four legs as well as leathery wings. The ampithere was on the ground, a long ragged gash along her side. The dragon was torturing her, cutting her open and breathing flame and acid in the wounds. The ampithere writhed in pain.

"Stop!" Screamed Amelia, charging forward, dagger in hand. The black dragon whipped around in surprise, and tried to dodge, but he was to late. The dagger sunk deep into his side. The creature roared in pain, whipping its tail around. The large tail rammed into Amelia's side, flinging her off the edge. She fell, and landed on a ledge some way down, knocking her unconcious. She dangled limply over the edge. Galaxy whinnied in terror. 

The ampithere roared in fury, jumping forward with a beat of its wings. It slammed into the dragons side, knocking him off the cliff. Now the ampithere had the upper hand, for the skies were its domain. The black dragon roared, beating its wings quickly to keep its huge body in the air. The ampithere was bleeding from many wounds, despite that, she darted about the black dragon, biting him, buffeting him with her wings, and tearing open the dagger wound. The black dragon roared, and flapped off, slashing the ampitheres wings before he did. The ampithere screeched as she fell, her cry cut short when she hit the ground.