I hated the dark. Specifically hated the woods at night, although I was never really any good without some form of light nearby. When I was young and had first met the giant blue scaly beast on the side of the mountain I'd stayed out well past nightfall. My fear wasn't nearly as bad as when I was ten, but I still never wanted to experience trying to find my way home in the dark again, so I'd created a tether of some kind.

It was a spell the dragon herself had helped me create. No matter where I stepped into the forest, a line of pure light would lead me towards her den. It was made of magic so it didn't cast a glow on its surroundings, but as long as I stayed close to it I'd find my way. It had been very cool when I was ten and had the foolish idea that I was some sort of master of magic. Now I regretted not carrying around a flashlight everywhere I went.

“What have you brought me now, foundling?” She greeted before I'd even reached her cave. She always knew when I was close, said she could feel my energy. There was no doubt she could feel the baby dragon's too. “Is that a hatchling?”

“It's actually really exciting to know you haven't gone blind,” I said, “I don't know what a hatchling is, but there's a good chance this is one.”

The white dragon ducked low to the ground, backing away from the cave that housed its elder. “I think it's scared of you.”

“He had better be.” She raised her chin, revealing her position just on top of the massive stone structure, “How you have managed to pull in two dragons, I will never know.”

“You and me, both.” I mumbled, watching as a few cats drifted their way towards their new company. The cat I'd freed earlier was still nearby, greeting its kin as they inspected its friend.

“You're awfully chatty today, foundling.” She said.

“Yeah.” I replied, “think I'm.... anxiety.”

“Eloquent,” It was like she could read my mind, “This isn't food.”

“Good eye.”

“May I eat your other gifts then? The humans?”

“Humans? What hu-” Oh. Those humans. The ones I'd forgotten about but had somehow managed to free themselves from the warehouse and were staring up in awe at, not one, but two dragons, one of whom was capable of speech.

I mean, they could've been staring at the cats, too. There were probably thirty more than there were the last time I'd come up here.

“Dragon.” Max said, pointing at the blue scaled mound. His finger drifted towards the white one, who'd flopped uselessly on the ground as cats surrounded it, “Baby dragon?”

“Yeah,” I rubbed my sore wrist, “That math checks out.”

It shouldn't have surprised me when Freya's inner ambassador had her stepping over cats in her expensive but practical sneakers and walking towards the bigger dragon, hand outstretched in greeting.

“Hello, Freya Linley, student body president. It's a pleasure to meet you...” She faltered, stuck between not knowing the dragon's name and realizing she wasn't in the position to shake hands with her massive foreleg. She dropped her arm diplomatically.

The dragon's face had grown closer to Freya's and, for a second, I thought she might be sizing up her meal, but mirth began to shine in her eyes. “I am Tethyria, youngling. And charmed to meet you.”

“You have a name?” She'd never told me that. She hardly told me anything.

“You have never asked, foundling.”

“So what's his name, then?” I gestured to the smaller dragon, who had fallen asleep in a nest of cats.

“He doesn't have one yet. It is his master who bestows one upon him.”

“Oh? And who might that be? I have a bone to pick with whoever unleashed this mess on the city.”

All was silent for a moment, and I could feel my ears blush when I realized everyone's attention was back on me.

Max nudged my side, “Dude, I think that's you.”

When I looked back towards the bigger dragon, that mischievous look still loomed in her eyes. At least if I screamed this time, people would know why and maybe not judge me too harshly for it. I kept my mouth closed, though, trying to sort my thoughts out.

“You can't be serious.” My voice cracked, throat unused to this much conversation, “I can't be something's master. That's weird, and wrong!”

“Seemed to come naturally to you down by the warehouse,” Sam said, voice bitter, and the nausea returned to my stomach. I hadn't meant to control them, and every part of that memory was vividly and painfully painted across my mind. I kept reminding myself that it might have saved their lives, but it didn't relieve the tension from my shoulders. “Did you hypnotize us or something?”

Leave it to Sam Kingsley to see two dragons in one night and be more concerned about how I saved his life.

The larger dragon, Tethyria, laughed in delight.

“What word, boy?” She asked. I tried to repeat it, but it was clumsy on my tongue. Most spells were like that when they weren't needed, “I am not surprised you took such a gentle route, foundling, asking so politely. Nor am I surprised at your success. More proof that your heart and your magic are strong.”

And there it was. The dreaded 'M' word. Just like that my secret was out, my world slowly crumbling to pebbles. Mum's one rule had been so cleanly shattered there would never be enough kings men or horses to put it back together. The dragon sensed my stress and huffed in annoyance, “It's not as though you can't simply erase their memory.”

“Sorry, do you know the word for that?” I snapped, hands clenched into fists, “Because I sure don't.”

“Then you have your answer.”

“Please don't say--”

“It was simply meant to be this way.”

This was her answer whenever something changed or went horribly wrong. All of her philosophy seemed to be completely intertwined with Destiny, so when I'd come here crying because Sam Kingsley had pushed me in the mud, or when I got detention for something I didn't do, or even when I was just so lonely and heartbroken that it didn't seem worth it to keep moving forward, I was always given a broad toothy smile and an 'It was simply meant to be.'

The last time she'd said it hurt so much that I stopped coming to see her. That had been nearly two years ago.

I bit back another scream, quickly becoming my go-to reaction. The gates of silence had been busted wide open in the last few hours, and it seemed like I'd never be able to close them again.

Instead of any sort of response or an attempt to explain to the others all that had been going on, I turned away from the group and started walking home. There would never be enough spoons in all the universe to deal with this, and I'd run out of spares for the week days ago. My brain felt like it was melting, like things had irreparably changed and the only way to avoid going crazy was to make good on the promise to myself that someday I'd run away.

A horde of cats blocked my path, meowing at me insistently. I looked back at Tethyria with a withering gaze.

“Twas not I, foundling.” She said, dipping her head towards the white dragon, who'd gotten to his feet and was trying to follow me.

“No.” I said, walking forward and attempting to push him back towards the den. Max chuckled, and I glared in response.

“What?” He asked, “After the events of today, I think I'm allowed to find humor in someone treating an actual dragon like a stubborn horse.”

“So, how would you get him to stay?”

“You're his master, right?” Freya asked with more diplomacy than she'd ever spared for me, “Can't you just command him to?”

That made about as much sense as the rest of the past week had, so I pointed at the dragon, then put my palms out to him.

“Stay.”

“He will not listen to you, foundling.” Tethyria said, humor in her voice as she watched with keen interest.

“Why not?” This was getting frustrating.

“Because you have not named him.” She said. I'd never felt such a strong urge to jump off a bridge into a frozen lake as I did in that moment, but I pushed it down.

“I'm not naming a dragon.” I tried to leave again, unsuccessfully, as I heard heavy padded steps behind me, “Stop following me!”

“He is yours, foundling. He will not leave you until he is named and given an order.”

Max couldn't help but laugh again, and when I looked over even Roman and Freya were smirking.

“Don't give me that look! Who wouldn't want their own dragon??” Max asked, and my eyes flitted towards Sam Kingsley.

At some point Roman had picked up a cat, and was now cradling it against his chest as he walked closer to the white dragon.

“What do you think his name should be...” Roman checked the tag on the collar, reading the name, “Marshall...?”

I thought about running again. Maybe I could lose the dragon and disappear into the wilderness. Maybe I could find a really tall bridge. Maybe I could piss one of the dragons off so much that they'd incinerate me. Maybe my mind could supply me a spell that would simply make it so I never existed.

“Breathe, Jules.” Max said.

“What do you even name a dragon?” Alex said, sitting amongst his own collection of purring cats.

“Opal Warrior.” Freya suggested. She'd probably been thinking about it from the moment Tethyria revealed he didn't have one.

“He's not a superhero,” Roman said, “He's a dragon. He needs a dragon name.”

“Pearl?” Eden said, settling next to Alex. Things were completely out of my control and my mind was spinning rapidly.

“Sounds like a mermaid.” Sam said, “You should name him something cool. Like Monster Truck, or Destructor.”

The six of them continued suggesting names that ranged from embarrassing to boring to just plain bad, and once again I was on the outside of the group, hovering nearby but never invited. I looked at the dragon instead, and found he was just as focused on me – his green eyes staring deep into mine.

It happened just like a spell would; a flash of some foreign word across my mind, and I spoke without really meaning to.

“Alwyn.” The dragon tilted his shimmering head in response, “Is that your name?”

“It is a bit obvious,” Tethyria said, “But he has accepted it. He will stay at your command now.”

I nodded. Suddenly my body was hit with a wave of exhaustion so strong it was all I could do to stay on my feet. Nearby, Roman had dropped the cat and taken a step closer to me.

“It is late, foundling.” Tethyria voice broke through the haze of my exhaustion, “You won't be able to enter the yard, and it is too cold to go back to your hideaway.”

I knew she was right. I had slept in the tree-house more times than I should have during the early spring. Another night meant risking pneumonia. But my only other options were to sit down and wait for the bitter chill to freeze me to death, or hope the cats would keep me warm.

I couldn't remember actually choosing to sit, but I could feel the frozen earth beginning to numb my knees.

“You have given too much of yourself today.” She continued, “There's not a drop of magic left in you. You must rest now. It is safe to let go for a little while, foundling.”

I considered that maybe Tethyria had used the mind controlling spell on me, though I don't remember her speaking it, but her words were the last thing I remember before drifting away.