The sun was starting to rise over the ocean, painting the scattered clouds in the sky a peaceful light pink colour.

His arrow firmly attached with a cord to the old dock, Alec was aiming at a swift shadow hidden in the sea. The water was calm and it was easy for him to distinguish his prey in the soft ripple of the waves. Narrowing his deep blue eyes, he let the arrow fly.

And as he sensed the cord that was attached to the arrow straightened, he knew he had got it.

With a victorious smile, Alec pulled on the cord, to retrieve both his arrow and the fish he had just pierced. If there was one thing Alexander Lightwood was good at, it was his bow and arrow skills. It probably was a family skill as the only other person using the bow was his mother. It made him proud to not only be good with that rare weapon, but also to share that aptitude with his family. It made him feel less of a stranger sometimes, like a reminder that he belonged...

'Or that you want to belong.' whispered a voice in his mind.

Pulling the eight pound fish out of the ocean, he added it to his already filled basket, sighing. Alec loved fishing, it brought him some peace, gave him some time alone to just clear his head. Fortunately enough, fishing was an important part of Alicante Island's life, but today he was fishing for a special occasion. A special occasion he would much rather forget, really.

Suddenly, snapping him out of his thought, a weight crashed onto his back as two arms encircled his shoulders. He had to make a step forward to actually keep his balance and not make him and the person who jumped on him fall off into the sea.

'' Happy birthday, brother dear!'' joyfully exclaimed his younger sister Isabelle's voice right before she kissed his cheek.

He laughed with a bit of exasperation before he replied to her. '' By the Angel, you are heavy, you know?'' he said teasingly, as he dropped his bow.

Hearing her gasp, he knew what was going to happen next and he braced himself. Soon enough, he received a clap behind the head, strong enough to sting, but not hurtful still.

'' Oh no, you didn't just say that! After I took time to come all the way here to be the first one to tell you. How ungrateful you are!'' Izzy hissed, but he could hear the playfulness of her tone. She resumed her attacks on the back of his head,

To defend himself, Alec started to spin, hoping she would drop off him, although it seemed he had underestimated that tiny piece of woman's strength. Clenching even harder at his shoulders, she stayed on him and kept going on. The eldest was beginning to feel dizzy and was starting to consider giving up, when the floor under him disappeared.

In his spinning around, he hadn't noticed how close by the edge of the dock was.

Izzy let out a surprised scream as they fell in the cold salt-water.

'At least that made her stop.' thought Alec, swimming back up to the surface. He was a bit annoyed by his slip of foot, he usually had a better knowledge of his surrounding than that.

When he broke the surface, all he could hear was Isabelle's laugh. He turned toward her. Her dark midnight hair, the same colour as all Lightwood, were dishevel and sticking to her face. Her onyx eyes were gleaming. '' Nice fight, Alec. Oh Mother is going to be pissed when she'll see my dress all wet.'' she said after she finished laughing.

Indeed, it was only then that Alec noticed how... dressy she was. With a long carmine flowy sleeveless dress that seemed to entangle itself around her legs in the water, like a mermaid's tail, she was also wearing her usual fancy looking chain with a ruby as a pendant and her whip as a bracelet too. Definitively not the kind of attire you would want to take for a swim in the ocean.

Suddenly feeling guilty, Alec's cheeks became a light shade of red. '' Sorry.'' he mumbled. '' And thanks for the wishes.'' he added, realizing he hadn't yet thanked her.

'' Oh come on, don't get all serious on me now.'' she grinned at him, while splashing a bit of water at him. Then, she easily began to swim toward the shore. '' I told Mother that it was way too early anyway for me to put this on, but you know her, she insisted for me to. She said, and I quote, that 'today is your brother's special day and there is no way you get late to tonight's festivities because you started to prepare at last minute.' '' Isabelle said, mimicking with a surprising accuracy Maryse, their mother's voice. '' So, because I didn't actually want to start a fight with her, believe it or not, I've put on the stupid dress and came to find you here. Angel, you wouldn't believe how stressed she is about tonight.''

By the time Isabelle finished her small rant, they had reached the shore. Sitting down in the sand, they let the morning sun dry them. The sun had only rose a few moments ago and it was already warm. Sitting in the sand when you were dressed in wet fancy outfits might not be a good idea for anyone, but Alec knew that even if yes, Izzy cared about how she looked, she hated clothes that were hindrance to her movements.

'' Trust me, I know how stressed and stressful she is.'' sighed Alec, which caused his sister to scoff.

'' Oh yeah, it is you the star of tonight, I suppose you do know...'' she said, looking at him with empathy.

Alec let his blue eyes drift toward the ocean, looking afar at the verdigris horizon. A horizon that always seemed so appealing to the blue-eyed young man. Sometimes he longed for a farther away world where he would really feel at ease. He knew the world was so much more than his island.

Today, he turned nineteen years old, which at Alicante was the age which you were now considered an adult. It was always a big thing for the islanders, but his reaching adulthood was special. He belonged to the Lightwood family, not only the chief family of Alicante, but also the direct descend of the founder of the Island. The Hero, whom is said to have saved them from the great flood by bringing them all to this island, never had children, but his sister had married a Lightwood, mixing the Hero's legacy with theirs.

Hence, Alec and Isabelle's coming of age was and will be a great event for the people, since at your nineteen birthday, one must also find a fiance.

'' It's tonight...'' he whispered under his breath, but Izzy heard him. She placed a comforting hand on his forearm.

'' You know you can always tell them that you are not... interested. I am sure that as a Lightwood we could have some special free pass.'' she tried.

Alec was appalled at the prospect of marrying. Specially if he had to marry a girl. His sister was the only one knowing that he had no interest in girls. That if he could, he would marry a guy, but then again, it's not like there was anyone on the island that had his attention.

He wished for someone that would have the breathtaking ability to make him dream and wonder, someone he would enjoy unravel and know every secrets, someone that could turn his life in a much more stranger poetry than the daily life Alicante Island promised.

Isabelle was wrong though. It was because he was a Lightwood that even if he did find someone like that, he could never be with him. The whole island was looking for who the eldest Lightwood; thus, the once and future chief of their community, would choose. Bloodlines and appearance were everything here.

'' You know as much as I do that it is not true.'' he softly said, turning his eyes toward her.

She had a contrasting mixture of resignation and rebellion flaring in her eyes. '' Could always try. What could happen worse, you'll never be happy otherwise.'' she said, tightening her jaw.

Alec shook is head in exasperation. He loved her, and he knew that she was saying that because she loved him too, but he had no belief that it was worth the risk. He could get excommunicated, he could get separated from her, and that he wouldn't have it.

'' Come on, help me bring the fishes back home for those in charge of cooking.'' he said, feeling uncomfortable and not wanting to continue that pointless discussion.

He saw Izzy roll her eyes at his changing subject, but she still got up and headed toward his barrels of fishes. '' Fist, calling his sister heavy, then ruining her dress and finaly making a lady carry smelly fishes around. You, mister, are lucky it is your birthday and that I am merciful enough to forgive you.'' she teased and it was Alec's turn to roll his eyes at her antics. They both each took a barrel and headed toward the village.

Alec's fishing spot wasn't where all the others went. He liked to be alone when he fished so he had taken the habit to go to the old dock on the south shore of the island while the village was mostly on the north shore. Therefore, they had quite a small walk to do along the cliff.

They were following the cliff, heading north. The sky and the ocean were now the same taint of aquamarine blue, the promising horizon indistinguishable between the two vastness.

Brother and sister were walking in silence, and the former couldn't help but think about what would inevitably come tonight. He felt powerless and didn't like it. He knew his parents were probably hoping he would choose that Branwell girl. Lydia.

'Angel, I really don't want to do this. If something, anything, could interrupt this stupid ceremony...' he wished, though his hopes weren't running high.

Isabelle was the one to snap him out of his thoughts again. She had stopped walking and was looking expectantly at him. '' I forgot, I actually have a birthday present for you.'' she said with a sly smile.

'' Iz, you didn't have to-'' the blue-eyed began.

'' Oh, shush and let me.'' she interrupted, putting her barrel of fishes and raising her hands to her neck. She removed her necklace and took one of Alec's hand. Isabelle placed the ruby inside his palm and closed his fingers around the jewelry. '' That is my most precious belonging, as you know, and you are aware of its special propriety I suppose, right? It is supposed to warn its bearer of danger and keep true love alive. I am only letting you borrow it though, understood?'' she said with raised eyebrows.

Alec felt warmth spread inside him. He knew what she was doing and he felt grateful to have someone like her caring for him. He smiled at her and, even if jewelry wasn't his thing, put on the necklace. '' It's the best gift I ever had.'' he told her with honesty. It wasn't the necklace, but the meaning behind it that touched him.

Isabelle grinned at him. '' Of course it is. But remember that I only let you borrow it, I am surely going to need... Alec pay attention, what are you looking at?'' she said when she noticed that his gaze went from her to the sea behind her.

With furrowed eyebrow, Alec's attention had focused on a dark spot in the sky. Already the ruby was throbbing a bit, like a small heartbeat. The shadow was getting bigger and bigger, as if nearing the island, and memories of five years ago flooded in his mind.

'' What do you see there?'' he asked his sister, hoping to be wrong. She turned around and placed a hand over her eyes to block the sun and see better.

With a shiver, Alec saw that the closer it came, the more it looked like a dragon. Last time a dragon came to their Island...

'' It looks like a dragon.'' she said with disbelief, confirming his fears. Then she added: '' But I think... it is holding someone? And... Is that a ship following the dragon?''

Now that she had pointed it, Alec could also see the ship, following and launching cannonballs at the dragon.

'So it found another prey.' bitterly thought Alec. He took out his bow and arrow. The ship would never manage to get that creature, but if the dragon kept its course, it was sure to pass over the island. Maybe, just maybe, he could shoot it down.

Raising his bow high, he placed an arrow, holding with strength the feathered end. The dragon was flying quickly and Alec wouldn't have long to aim and shoot. He had to make a quick decision.

'The eye.' he told himself and he tried to picture the dragon's itinerary. Now that it was close, narrowing his eyes in concentration, he could see that, in between its claws, there was a dark haired man. Infuriated, he pulled the cord farther away and held still.

Steadily he waited and the dragon got closer and closer. His heart was loud in his chest, but he couldn't miss. He didn't know the man, but he knew what it was to lose people to that dragon. He couldn't let it go that easily, he couldn't miss. Soon it would be over them...

Finally, he released the arrow. Swiftly it lodged itself in the eye of the dragon, which cried and roared in pain and released the man from its hold.

But now the man was falling down. Running toward, him, dropping his bow, Alec tried to catch him, but he should have known that it wasn't a rational way of doing, because as soon as the man landed in his arms, the two of them fell down the ground.

Both men groaned in pain. Alec had knocked his head and felt a bit dizzy. The man, whom was lying over him, looked down at him a bit confused about what had happened. Looking up, the world dulled around him as Alec saw that the man had emerald green eyes. He was so close he could see those small flicker of gold in them, reminding Alec of a forest pierced by sunlight. They looked as charming and exquisite than the man they belonged to.

Blushing madly, he noticed how close they were, the stranger's body pressed against his, over him, and Alec felt incredibly hot and uncomfortable.

The man, probably perceiving his emotions with ease, as Alec was an open book, smiled mischievously. '' Well, hello there. Are you my knight in a not so shiny armour?'' he asked in his deep voice and Alec shivered of pleasure. He could feel the stranger's hot breath on his skin when he talked and the blue-eyed boy didn't find it disagreeable at all.

The man raised an eyebrow when Alec didn't answer, too occupied admiring the other. He blushed and just nodded, unable to speak. Placing a hand on Alec's chest, the man smiled, fully aware of and enjoying the blue-eyed boy's discomfort.

'' And whom shall I thank then?'' he whispered with a wink, asking for the Lightwood boy's name.

His heart beating frantically, his throat seemed to narrow and he struggle to find the words. '' Alexander... but people here call me Alec.'' he finally whispered.

The man had started to run his fingers against his torso, and Alec felt like he couldn't think anymore. Fortunately for him, Izzy chose that moment to theatrically clear her throat and make her presence known.

'' And I am Isabelle Lightwood, Alec's sister. You are?..'' she asked, with a knowing smile that her brother wished he could erase from her face.

The man got up, Alec already missed the others' warmth, and passed his hands over his clothes to remove the dirt that could have stuck on him. Then he sent a charming smile toward her way.

'' My name is Magnus Bane, pleasure to meet you.'' he said extending a hand. She took it and he immediately bent down to kiss it. Alec tried not to feel too jealous about that mundane act and got up too.

He sensed a throbbing sensation where the ruby Izzy gave him was and from the corner of his eyes, he saw again a dark silhouette quickly approaching them from the sky. His senses in alert, he look up.

His mind had been distracted and he had forgotten about the dragon, which he had only shot an eye, not killed.

'' Watch out!'' the blue-eyed shouted, bending down to grab back his bow and an arrow. But already it was too late.

The creature, still roaring in pain and half-blinded, dove toward them. Before Alec could raise his bow again, the dragon opened its claw and took back its prey.

' No, it didn't take back Magnus.' Alec realized, looking at the said man in panic. He felt cold as realization hit him hard. He felt sick, nauseous even. ' No, no no, it can't be! He denied, but turning toward the fleeing dragon's direction, he saw her in between its claws.

'' Isabelle!'' he screamed and ran toward her direction, blind to anything but his sister's frail silhouette in the creatures' grip.

He was approaching the cliff, he knew it, but he couldn't comprehend it. All of his thoughts were on Isabelle.

'' Alec!'' he could hear her scream from afar and he just lost it, running faster.

Only then, strong arms held him in place, immobilizing him. Looking down, he recognized Magnus' dark skinned arms and he tried to struggle. Couldn't he understand that his sister was getting kidnapped?

'It's just like Max...'

'' Let me go! Isabelle! No! Let me go!'' he frantically shrieked. Still, Magnus tightened his hold on him.

'' If I let you go, you are going to fall off that cliff, it won't do any good if you died. She is gone, you can't run after her.'' he said with such calmness it irritated and appeased the Lightwood boy at the same time.

'' You don't understand! It's Isabelle... Izzy... I can't, I can't just...'' he still protested weakly. Magnus had a point. He couldn't fly up toward that creature and it was flying away now, already becoming a dark spot in the tauntingly blue sky.

Sensing Alec's struggle diminish, Magnus' hold morphed to a reassuring embrace instead, while Alec tried to calm down.

Detaching himself from the other, Alec looked determinately toward where the dragon had now disappeared. Suddenly, all his worries about today seemed so futile now. His birthday, the festivities, the Branwell girl...

'I'll find you, Izzy. Please hang on and wait for me.'' he promised her raising a hand toward the necklace. She was resilient and more than able to defend herself. He might still have a chance to find her.

If only he could travel out of this island... Alicante was quite the exclusive place and had only one boat. It almost never had visitor and only the Penhallow were able to navigate. No one ever got in or out the island.

Looking down, he saw the ship that had pursued the dragon here. 'The Great Bane' was written on its side. It was a pirate ship, he noted now that he could see the ship's flag.

An idea form in his head.

'' Is this your ship?'' asked Alec not turning around, his gaze steadily on his perhaps only chance.

'' Why yes, I am its captain.'' simply answered Magnus, sounding unsure.

Slowly, Alec half turned to look straight in those attractive eyes. 'A pirate, how fitting.' he ironically thought as his heartbeat increased. He didn't know how to form his request, but then there was only one way he knew how to be: blunt.

'' Then I need your help.''

Idea that have been haunting me for a while...

And please (!) tell me if you guys like the beginning of this adventure! Alec-Izzy family bonding, Malec romance and Jalec friendship mostly to come, with appearance of small Clace in one far away chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own the character, they belong to the TMI series.