Fontaine Nekton stares at the blurry shape in the picture. It really, truly looks like a dragon. An orangish, winged, reptilian creature. From what she can tell, the picture hasn't been tampered in photoshop. The logical, sensible part of her says it's impossible; it's only a poorly taken picture, it's definitely edited despite its appearance. But some weird excited part of her that's too much like her annoying little brother Ant is compelled to search for this creature.
The Nekton family has found creatures from a submarine-sized sea horse to thee Moby Dick. But dragons, the winged, fire-breathing mythical creature of all mythical creatures? Never. (But if it actually was a dragon...and if Fontaine found it before her Ephemychron-using genius little brother…)
Fontaine reads online for any more information on the picture. The location is, amazingly enough, extremely close to the area the Nektons are exploring. Fontaine should get Mom and Dad immediately. But…Fontaine's closer right now to the island where the creature was seen then she is to the Arronax. If there is a dragon, she'll call in the Arronax right away. If she's the first to see the dragon, before Ant, Mom and Dad will—
Oh man. Mom and Dad are going to be furious that she went alone at night without telling anybody (except for leaving a vague note) and took the Rover so far away. She just got so fed up with Ant lately, and she wanted to, well...find something, anything, that would make Mom and Dad look at her the same way they do him. That awe-filled look of "he found this amazing, never-before-seen creature!" It's not that Ant never gets scolded for his stupid recklessness (he gets scolded all the time by everyone except his fish Jeffry), but it always ends in the "you found this amazing never-before-seen thing! You incredible genius boy!"
And Fontaine? What has she done? She can't use the Ephymechron, no matter how she turns it or what she says. (She's Ant's sister, isn't that enough for the Ephymechron? And for sea's sake Alpheus can use it!) She's not the one with genius, quick-witted plans. (Again, she should be smarter than Ant—she's older, not to mention sensible. And yet, it's Ant who saves them all.) She's not nearly as good of a pilot or marine biologist or mechanic as Mom. She doesn't know languages and history like Dad.
Fontaine shoves the Rover's steering wheel to accelerate. She's going to find this dragon.
Morning comes. Voices chatter over her com. Yup. Her family discovered her absence.
"Fontaine! Where are you?" Mom.
Guilt spears through Fontaine's chest. "I'm just...taking the Rover for a little drive."
"Leaving alone in the night without telling anybody?" Dad says, astounded and stern.
"I left a note," she says weakly.
"Aw man, I thought aliens had taken you and wrote that," Ant says.
"And whatever possessed you to do that?" Dad says.
"I just wanted…Oh, never mind! I'm safe, I'll be back soon, and you can track down the Rover if you have to and bring genius Ant to save my hide." She mutes her com and shuts off the Rover screen so they can't call her there either. She's close to the dragon's sighting and can't stop now.
As mad as Kaiko and Will are, they swap surprised glances.
"Uh, what's going on with Fontaine? I swear it wasn't me!" Ant crosses his arms in front of him. "I only borrowed-without-asking her skateboard five days ago, and I returned it the first time she asked me and I didn't put a single dent on it!"
"I don't know," Kaiko says. Fontaine is only fifteen, so she does stupid things sometimes, but being this impulsive? She's usually the least of their whole family! And Fontaine hardly gets so snappish. And apparently, she muted the com and shut off the Rover screen because she's not responding to either. What on earth?
Will sets his jaw. "Let's go after her."
Ant glances wide-eyed at Will's unusually hard tone and scurries to his chair. Kaiko revs up the Arronax. They follow the location of the Rover's last transmission.
