Wandering a castle sounds fun but in reality it gets bring really quickly. It's not like I had access to all the secret rooms and hidden royal treasures, I could only walk the halls and look at the paintings, the worst part was all the guards who were pretending to not look at me but I felt their awkward stares. This would be a lot more fun with friends... I wonder how Mara is doing? I should call her when I get back to the room. Shit, my phone is dead. I need to get some electricity soon! I wonder if Collin could help me? I scoffed aloud, AS IF! He is entirely worthless unless I want to get into trouble. Bringing me here, bossing me around, lying to me. I bet he was the first Rider to visit the egg, god I hope he isn't the Dragon Master. Imagine the ego inflated anymore? He would probably burst, I snickered at the thought. After a while longer, I spotted an exit and decided to venture outside.

Being here so long there had almost been no bad weather, always sun and heat, like it was summer. The grass was so green and the sky was so blue, like a fairy tale, which in some ways it was to me. I sat in the shade against the stone wall and looked around at the giant yard I was in, it was well kept and incredibly neat. I wished I could look out onto the city's skyline but the castle had an enormous fence making that impossible. What could I do here to pass the time? I certainly will not "train". Why would I need to? I don't. This isn't my world, so when it comes to fight I won't have to, they have like hundreds of trained Riders. Besides, I could never do what these people do, all those kicks and punches, I'm not in an action movie.

"Not much fun is it?," her voice scared me.

"AH!," I turned to see Serena leaning against the wall. "Oh god Serena! You scared me," I said trying to laugh off the urge to pee from the surprise.

She chuckled," What can I say? I'm a scary girl."

"How have you been?," I asked slowly, What do I say? I barely know her!

She shrugged and sat beside me," Can't complain. But I heard you got in trouble," she laughed. "Who knew you'd be this rebellious only a week into the life long sentence."

I laughed skeptically," That's me: Ms. Rebellious. Uhm, what do you mean life long sentence?"

She turned to me," Alyson, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I lied to you."

"When?"

"Pretty much everything I told you...," she turned away ashamed.

"Wait, what?"

"This place is terrible, a literal prison, without the jumpsuits, and everyday I want nothing more than to go home and see my sister but... but I never do," she sniffled.

"What are you talking about? You said they let you go h-..."

"I lied. I have been here for... god, too long," she shook her head. "They have never once let me go home and I'm sorry I told you they would let you. I really am, but we were told to get you here by any means necessary. I was just following orders and it sucks because I know how much it would have meant to me if Collin would have just told me the truth when he brought me here. It sucks because I don't even really understand why I follow these order!"

Pain struck my chest and the words Never go home echoed in my head like a creepy Russian song, but I held on the the thread of hope I had left.

"The Queen told me today that the council is still deciding, but there is a chance."

She scoffed," Yeah right. She's kept me here all these years, except to go on scouting trips but they said if I tried to contact my family it would only end up poorly," she swallowed. "And I know they don't make empty threats here, but I swear I will find a way home and when I do," she turned to me," I promise I will take you and Luna with me."

"Well sorry if I don't trust what you tell me anymore," I said curtly hoping to wound her.

"Probably a good thing. Don't trust anyone here, everyone has their own agenda and will manipulate and twist you however they can to get their way."

"I can see that."

"It's kind of like politics back home...," she paused," I assume politics are still corrupt and egotistical shit shows."

"Yeah," I smirked.

"Everyone is out for themselves, so watch out for you and only you."

"Why even tell me this now? What's the point?"

"It may help you with the tough decisions that come," she stood up. "I'm going back to my room. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, okay... oh, Serena wait!" She turned back to me ," Uhmm... do you by chance know who went to go see the egg? Was it you?"

Her eyes widened," Someone has already gone to see the egg!"

"Uhm, yeah. That's what the Queen said at least and I was-..."

"Sorry Alyson, I have to go," and with that she was gone.

My butt was getting numb so I stood and stretched, Never go home. Never go home. Never go home.

"Luna?," I reached out to her.

"Yes," she responded swiftly.

"I'm off house arrest."

"What does that mean?"

"It means the Queen let me out of my room."

Her joy flooded my emotions," I shall come get you at once."

"I'm in the courtyard."

Within 5 minutes I saw my beautiful white dragon soaring towards me and my smile was impossible to stop, she just made me happy. She landed and greeted me with happy grumble.

"Freedom suits you."

"What can I say, traditional American values are sewed into my DNA."

"What?"

"Nothing," Luna did not know the history of my country, not her fault. "Want to go for a ride?"

"Nothing would make me happier."

I climbed onto her back, and I was already out me out of breath," You are either getting bigger or I'm getting fatter."

Riding Luna almost made me forget what Serena told me, almost. Those three words ringed in my ears as I looked at the busy city in front of us, all these people are so happy to here, this is their home... but not me.

"Want to go see the city?"

"Will we get in trouble?"

"We shouldn't." In all honestly I didn't know, but what's the harm? If the Queen and everyone else around here wanted me to stay... forever... then I would eventually have to go places and see things. It didn't take much convincing as Luna propelled closer and closer to the city of swirling colors. "I think we should walk, we don't want another incident, you know, like last time."

"Agreed."

Standing on the stones of the street only made the city seem bigger, it was near midday so people were out and about running errands and fulfilling their day to day tasks. At first I thought it would look odd to see a dragon walking the crowded streets, but we weren't the only ones. Anxiety struck as worries swirled in my mind and doubt entered my thoughts; Are we breaking any rules? What if we get into trouble? This was a bad idea? Is that guy staring at me? Is he judging me clothes? Oh goodness, I should have worn that stupid tunic, I stand out like a whore in church! He's still glaring, WHY!? Oh god, he wants to kill me!

"ALYSON!," Luna huffed. "You mustn't worry so much, it makes my head ache."

"But that guy was totally glaring at us! And not in the 'she's hot' kind of way but more the ' i want to feel the life drain from her' kind of way!"

"I see no difference in his face then the face you have in the early mornings. Besides, he wouldn't dare approach, I am a dragon after all and here that means something."

We wandered the streets more until my feet started to hurt, but I didn't want to ride on Luna like she was an elephant so I suffered in silence as she was mesmerized by the life of a city.

"Wow, there is nothing like this back at home."

I thought about correcting her, I'm sure bigger cities like Los Angeles and New York were like this but at the same time I knew they weren't. Here we passed a shop that was forging weapons, sending sparks onto the street while children ran by playing a game I could only guess to be tag, all the while overhead people had lines connected to the nearby building with their clothes strewn out to dry. It looked the every Disney movies depiction of an town in a different era, like something from the 1800s.

"Yeah, it's one of a kind."

As we strolled down the road, I did notice the fact people were taking notice in us which I thought was odd. There were other dragons and Riders here, why were we being singled out?

"GOD IT'S HOT!" I complained

"It's fairly warm, yes."

"AND I'M HUNGRY!"

"Well, you seem fairly grumpy."

"I'm hot, hungry, and we've been walking for what seems like days! I did plenty of that on my 'quest'."

"Perhaps we should return to the castle for a meal and rest?"

"Please and thank you." As Luna jumped into the sky we heard some shrieks from the startled citizens below, "Maybe next time we should find somewhere secluded."

"Yes, that would be best."

Back at the castle I had dinner and retired to my room, I liked it a lot more now that it was a choice to be there. Luna came in and sat on the floor so she could face me on the couch.

"There is still some hours of sun left, my Rider. Would you like to go visit the Academy? I would love for you to meet the new dragons and I have met and perhaps if you try and train, it will make this go faster for you?"

I snorted, mostly because earlier that day I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't train," No, I think I'll pass on that offer. I'll go and meet them another time." After I spoke I felt some disappointment, it had to of been Luna because I knew it didn't disappoint me.

"Perhaps I will go alone, if only for a short time to really work of breathing fire. Will you be alright?"

"Of course, this has been my prison cell for the last few days. It's harmless."

"I'll see you at nightfall."

Luna left and I must have dozed off because a knock on my door almost made me fall of the couch. I got up and scurried over opening the door to see an arrogant Mr. Bigshot himself standing in my threshold.

I rolled my eyes," What?"

"First off, you should always ask who is at the door before opening it, it could be someone who poses a threat."

It is, you pose a threat to my sanity. "I'll remember that."

"Secondly, I came by to apologize. The mission was successful but I shouldn't have asked you to do what you did," he shuffled his feet.

"Wow, an apology. That must of been hard for you."

"No, I know what I did was wrong and I a trying to make amends," his gaze shifted to me," May I come in?"

"Oh... sure I guess."