ours passed. Danny watched the world below with mesmerized attention from high atop Tyramear's back, the lights beneath stretching out like a reflection of the glittering stars above.
"Are you cold?" Sabrina asked, pulling his attention from the wondrous sight.
Caught off guard, Danny could do nothing but stare at her as words caught in his throat.
"You are shivering," Sabrina pointed out to him.
So taken in by his vantage point and Sabrina's proximity, Danny had failed to notice his body's reaction. He finally realized that he was definitely cold. The wind had grown colder over the past few hours. It was cutting through his clothing, chilling him to the bone.
"Just a little," his teeth chattered in between words.
"Here," reaching forward, opening a small compartment in front of her. Pulling out a heavy blue blanket, "Put this over you."
Draping the blanket over his shoulders, Danny noticed that Sabrina held on to the opposite half.
"We can share it," she said, smiling broadly at him.
Danny's neck hair stood on end at the prospect.
Sabrina told the boys behind her that similar caches of blankets were stowed in front of each of them. She turned and pulled the blanket over her body, causing it to pull taut as Danny held the other half.
Danny felt the buildup of body heat, he ceased to shiver.
"Better?"
"Much," said Danny, smiling, blushing.
Free from the biting sting of the cold, feeling self-conscious regarding Sabrina's proximity, Danny returned his gaze to the view below.
More hours passed, causing the lights beneath to disappear as the Earth began its nightly slumber. However, cities twinkled well into the night, a mass of illumination spreading out from a bright collection of lights, thinning as they neared the edge of civilization. Danny watched large cities coming into view, passing them with interest, trying to guess the amount of people that inhabited each one.
Time seemed to slow as the combination of Sabrina's warmth, the lull of the moonlight and the sway of Tyramear's beating wings took their toll. Danny's eyelids grew heavy, inviting him into the embrace of a restless slumber. On the verge of unconsciousness, Danny fought against the pull of sleep, causing the night to pass in a flutter of images.
***
"Danny," called the familiar sweet-sounding voice.
Coming sluggishly awake, Danny pried his eyes open.
"Danny, wake up, we are almost there."
Peering over the edge of the harness, Danny saw the outline of the landscape, illuminated by the soft glow of the moon. The coast of Florida stretched out below him; looking closer he saw a series of waves cresting and crashing along a beach. He felt Tyramear shift beneath him as he turned toward the utter dark of the ocean.
"Hold on!" Sabrina yelled.
Danny gripped the sides of the carriage as Tyramear dipped low in a steep descent. Forced back into the seat, Danny's heart skipped a beat once more. Angling toward the coast, Tyramear stretched his wings wide, slowing his dive, leveling out just above the surface of the roiling water. Lingering over the waves for a fleeting moment, Tyramear coiled his wings around himself and slipped into the sea. His sheer size, combined with his speed, caused a large splash.
The refreshing salty mist splattered Danny's face as Tyramear came to a sudden stop, floating lazily on the surface. Using his wings as paddles, Tyramear propelled himself forward, following the lapping waves toward the coast, where a single globe of light, held by a lone shadowy figure, illuminated the white sand of the beach.
"Who's that?"
"A friend."
Tyramear swam forward and then rose high above the water as his legs met the shallow seabed. Padding out of the water and onto the beach, he hunkered down, swiveled his head toward his passengers, and sniffed.
"We are here," said Sabrina, throwing her piece of the blanket aside, un-strapping herself from the seat.
Content to be back on solid ground, Danny did the same. He allowed Sabrina to step over him and toss the rope ladder down Tyramear's scaly side.
"Come on," she said, as she climbed down.
Danny glanced back to his friends, they were also in the process of removing their harnesses. He looked down and noticed that Sabrina was almost at the bottom so he began his own descent. Two steps from the base, Danny jumped the rest of the way, landing lightly in the sand. He followed Sabrina's footsteps up the beach; she was hugging a man in thick black robes.
"It's good to see you again," Sabrina said in the midst of disengaging from the embrace.
The stranger wore a thick hood pulled over his head and carried a brilliant lantern in an outstretched arm, creating a pocket of shadows that hid his facial features. In his opposite hand, Danny noticed a glint of emerald, perhaps it was a Bonded.
"Are you a Knight of the Light?"
The hooded man's head swiveled in Danny's direction. Seconds passed as the man looked Danny over. "Of course I am," he pulled his hood back and revealed a slick, shaved head, complete with pointed goatee. "And who might you be?" he asked, his grey eyes reflecting the light of the lantern.
"I'm Danny Firoth."
"Tis good to meet you, Danny, you can call me Mick." He shoved his sword deep into the sand, presenting his right hand in greeting.
Danny took Mick's hand at the wrist and felt the intense strength of his squeeze. Danny's eyes lingered on the jade-hilted blade stuck in the sand.
"Her name is Jayden," said Mick, following Danny's eyes.
"…Her?"
"My Bonded," said Mick, retrieving the sword, holding it up to the light.
Looking closer, Danny noticed that the hilt, which looked like it was made from pure jade with thin inlays of silver, ended in the head of an open-mouthed dragon, the silver lines winding together to form a wicked array of teeth. The scabbard, crafted in green-tinged gold-colored metal, contained an intricate engraving of the Light symbol.
"And who might these boys be?" Mick asked as Chris, Alonso, Doug and Matt joined the group.
All four boys introduced themselves one at a time, but before conversation could continue, Tyramear bellowed a rumbling grunt.
"Forgive me, my friend," said Mick with a smile. He turned toward the huge silver dragon. "Despite your immense size, it seems we somehow forgot about you."
Tyramear cocked his head to the side and snorted, obviously not amused.
"Come, let us relieve your father of his burden," said Mick, walking toward the massive from of Tyramear with Sabrina pacing behind him. "You boys can help, too, if you like."
Danny and his friends followed, making their way beneath Tyramear's massive front legs, stopping beneath his sternum, where the harness remained attached.
"Like this," said Sabrina, demonstrating the proper way of releasing the straps that held the saddle tightly to Tyramear's body.
Once the last strap was undone, Tyramear grunted in relief as he stood up to his full height, rotated his long neck, and locked his jaws around the sides of the harness. The wooden saddle creaked as he lifted it from his back and positioned it on the beach, causing it to sink into the sifting sand.
"We best get back," said Mick, herding everyone from beneath the dragon.
Free of the harness, Tyramear twisted his body from side to side, flinging the saltwater from his scales.
For a moment, it felt like rain. Danny held up his arms to protect himself from the sudden spray. Licking his lips, he could taste the essence of the ocean, sea salt.
Tyramear dipped his head low to regard the soggy group and released a series of guttural grunts, it almost sounded like laughter.
"Very funny, Father."
Ignoring his daughter's comment, Tyramear straightened his neck and sucked in a mass of air. Closing his eyes in concentration, his silver scales began to glow, rivaling the moonlight. His sharp talons disappeared beneath the surface of his fingers; his long neck compacted; his tail shortened, shrank, and then disappeared into his back. Once the transformation was complete, Tyramear opened his silver eyes and released his breath in a sigh of relief.
Danny knew that Tyramear’s transformation would always amaze him, no matter how many times he saw it. The others also stared in awe at the man now standing before them dressed in a silver-striped suit.
"Epic," said Matt, adjusting his glasses.
Mick was the first to step forward. "It's good to see you again, my old friend."
"And you," said Tyramear, adjusting his Bonded on his back. He cocked his head first to one side, then the other, causing a series of pops and cracks to break the silence.
"Come, I have beds already made," said Mick. "You must be tired from the journey. And the Squires will need their rest for tomorrow’s activities."
"…Squires?" Doug asked.
"You will find out soon enough, little ones," said Mick.
"I'm not little," said Alonso.
"Soon you will not think so boldly," said Mick with a smirk. "Come," he continued, not waiting for any other questions. Holding the lantern out before him, he began to move up the beach.
"What about the harness?" Danny questioned.
"Leave that to me," said Tyramear, bending down and gripping the thick, braided rope attached to the base of the harness. Pulling the cord taut, giving it one good pull, the heavy saddle lurched forward.
Seeing how easy it was for Tyramear to haul the harness across the beach, Danny stepped to the side, amazed once again at the strength the full-blooded Dragonic commanded.
Tyramear surged ahead with ease, pulling the harness up the sandy path, taking a position behind Mick. Even with the weight of the saddle dragging behind him, Tyramear matched Mick stride for stride.
Danny found that Chris, Alonso, Matt, and Doug's expressions mimicked his own, their mouths agape, their eyes focused on Tyramear.
"Are you boys coming?" Sabrina asked, stopping in the middle of the path.
Danny nodded and fell in beside her as she turned and continued up the sandy embankment. Chris and the others followed behind, muttering questions and comments about what they had just witnessed.
"Are you that strong?" Danny asked, directing his question at Sabrina.
"If you are asking me whether I am as strong as my father, the answer is no," said Sabrina with a soft smile. "He is a pureblood Dragonic and I am only a half-blood. But I am stronger than you," she finished, her smile widening.
Danny faked a smile and looked up into the night sky. "Oh," he said simply. Danny had been infatuated with Sabrina since the first time he'd seen her. She was smart, pretty, and apparently quite strong, mentally as well as physically. Currently, they were friends, nothing more, despite his desires, Danny couldn't summon the courage to change that fact. Consumed by his inner turmoil, Danny followed silently.
Mick led them up a sandy path between two towering sand dunes. On the other side, the trail widened as a pair of motion detection lights hummed to life, illuminating a two-story house in the distance. The home rested on a series of thick, sturdy stilts, a precaution against the threat of hurricanes and tropical storms. Parked beneath the house and between the beams supporting it was a rugged four-by-four truck with large, knobby tires.
Two more lights activated as the party made their way down the sandy path.
"You can put that in the usual place," said Mick, pointing toward a rundown shack just large enough for the wooden harness.
Tyramear hauled the saddle over to the structure, turned, and said, "Now would be a good time to get your things."
Sabrina walked over to the harness and unlocked the panel in the rear. Digging through the contents, she pulled her bag out and slung it over her shoulder.
Danny found his own backpack and moved to the side as Chris, Matt, Alonso and Doug did the same. Finished, they all stepped clear and watched Tyramear push the heavy saddle into the shelter with ease.
Tyramear closed the double doors and walked past the five boys, ignoring their amazed gawks; the boys followed him. Tyramear found Mick, along with Sabrina, standing at the bottom of a series of steps that led up and into the house.
"Welcome to my humble home," said Mick after everyone had gathered around him. "Come, make yourselves comfortable," he encouraged, as he climbed the stairs.
Danny and the others followed behind, ascending the steep stairs. Mick opened the heavy wooden door and stepped through. He gave them the grand tour; the house contained four bedrooms, one for Mick, two dedicated for guests, one each for Sabrina and her father; the fourth contained an assortment of hastily-fashioned cots and blankets. Mick made it clear that Danny and his four friends would be sharing that room. There were two full bathrooms, a spacious kitchen and a family room, complete with an assortment of board games.
Once the tour was finished, Mick bid everyone goodnight and vanished into his room. Sabrina and Tyramear did the same.
Left alone in the dead of night, excitement still fresh in their minds, the five boys made their way to their room.
"I call the cot in the back," Alonso said as he entered the room and threw his bag on the makeshift bed.
Content to sleep anywhere, the other boys plopped down randomly. Sleep was the furthest thing from their minds.
"So, Danny, do you have a thing for Sabrina or what?" Alonso asked.
"What!"
"It's pretty obvious, man," said Chris, stretching out on his cot.
Embarrassed, Danny's face flushed as he sprawled out backward and placed his head in his hands. "What of it?" he said, getting defensive.
"Take it easy. I was just wondering which side of her you liked more, the Human side or the Dragonic," joked Alonso. "You ever think about which is actually her true form? I can't imagine kissing a dragon."
"Eeew, epic dragon breath," said Matt with a giggle.
Matt's mirth gave way to rambunctious laughter as Doug, Alonso, and Chris joined in the merriment. After a few seconds, even Danny began to laugh.
"I think both of her forms are beautiful," Danny blurted, which caused the amusement to grow tenfold.
"Have you told her how you feel, man?" Chris asked, once the laughter died down.
"No."
"…Why not?" Doug asked.
"I'm too embarrassed, too scared," admitted Danny. "What if she laughs at me to my face?"
"What if she feels the same way about you?" Chris said. "Sometimes the gains outweigh the risks, man," he added, before Danny could respond.
"Yeah," was all Danny could say. "Plus, her father kind of scares me. He is a full-blooded Dragonic. You saw him today."
"Yeah, even though it happened right before my eyes, I still can't believe what I saw," said Doug, shoving his bag beneath his cot. "Is this really happening to us?"
"We just flew a thousand miles through the air on the back of a huge silver dragon," said Matt, taking his glasses off, polishing the lenses with the sleeve of his shirt.
"This is the best vacation ever," said Alonso.
"This is no vacation, guys," said Chris, his voice turning stern. "We made this journey to become Knights of the Light. We've seen some amazing things, but don't lose focus, if this is real, then so is the threat of the Shadows."
"Chris is right," said Danny. "I've seen two Shadows already, and they're as real as you and me. We must be prepared. Believe me, I'm as excited about all of this as you guys are, but we can't let that distract us from the real purpose here. We must become knights, and I am beginning to think that it won't be as easy as I originally thought."
"What do you mean?" Matt asked.
"Do you think they'll just give us each a Bonded? The Shadows are malicious killers, skilled in combat. Even with a magical dagger, I'm pretty sure I'd be useless against one." To further his point, Danny pulled the dragon-hilted dagger from his bag and unsheathed it, bathing the room in a soft white light. "I watched Sabrina defeat a Shadow on her own, but she had to change into her dragon form to do it."
"You're right," said Sabrina.
All five boys looked up in utter surprise.
"How long have you been standing there?" Danny asked.
"…Long enough," said Sabrina with a sly smile.
Danny's face turned a deep shade of red, he looked down.
However, Sabrina's smile disappeared as she continued. "It takes hard work and dedication to become a Knight of the Light. I assure you, the threat of the Shadows is real, and all of you will need to be as focused as you can be to take on the trials ahead of you. You will all need your strength for what is coming, so I bid you goodnight." She closed the door and left, her light footsteps echoed down the hall as she made her way back to her own room.
"It seems your secret is out now, genius," whispered Alonso, snickering.
"Shut up!" Danny said in the same hushed voice. He threw his pillow at the black-haired boy, catching him full in the face. Danny felt humiliated but at the same time he felt somewhat relieved. Sabrina hadn't laughed at him or denied her own feelings for him. Perhaps, there was a chance.
Alonso turned and tossed the pillow back as hard as he could. Distracted by his thoughts, the pillow struck Danny dead in the face. Picking up the pillow, Danny hauled back and was about to return the favor.
"Cut it out, you two," said Chris. "Sabrina was right. We should get some rest."
Alonso glared at Danny one last time before flopping down onto his cot and facing toward the wall.
An excited, uncomfortable silence settled over them. Questioning what was to come to themselves, but exhausted from the events of the day, all five boys changed into their sleepwear and fell fast asleep.