Corin and Matt slept in shifts, they refused to let me keep a watch because they said 'I wouldn't know what to look for'. I didn't fight them as hard as I maybe should of because I was tired and wanted to actually sleep. When I woke up, Matt was shaking me gently.

"Time to go" he whispered. I could barely see him, the sun wasn't even starting to rise.

I rubbed my eyes," Are the others here?," I sat up.

"No," he told me. "But we have to keep going."

"Matt, I won't go without them," I told him sternly.

He shook his head," I admire that, but they could all be dead, Alyson and those spies could be on their way. There might be more of them, we don't know."

"Exactly, we don't know, so we can't just-.."

"We're not staying," he said coldly before turning and walking towards Beloiuhn.

"Why does he believe he controls us?" Luna yawned and stretched, waking up for the day.

"Because of the Queen," I made a face mocked him. I opened the chest sitting between Luna and I, the egg was still safe. "I think there's another crack," I pointed to a new break in the shell's surface.

"How exciting," Luna surged with joy.

"Thank goodness you didn't take this long to hatch: I hate waiting."

"Matt tells me we're leaving?," Corin strolls up to me and I quickly close the lid of the crate. He almost grinned," You don't have to hide it, I know what's inside."

"Aren't you heading back?," I changed to subject and stood up.

"Back? Of course not," he scoffed. "I'd be crazy to go back towards what's following us."

I glared at Corin," I don't trust you," I told him frankly.

Corin's eyes scanned me again, I hated feeling him looking at me, it made a chill travel own my spine.

"You have no reason to question my allegiance," his tone was dark.

"Yeah? Well, I trust my gut and it's always told me there was something wrong about you. Maybe the fact you have a slave or maybe the-...," I stopped myself. "Tholus..."

Corin's face was now bored," What of the boy?"

"Where is he? Did you leave him in Ilirea? All alone?! How could you?," I demanded.

Corin chuckled as I stepped up to him. "The boy is not in Ilirea."

"Then where is he?," I demanded.

"He was sent home. My father called for him."

"Home?," I was confused.

"He is back in Narda," Corin fixed his sleeves. "I was supposed to be sent a replacement but... seeing as I'll be near home soon enough I'll wait," then Corin leaned in close, causing me to pull back which I could see made him happy. "Just because you may have this new title, does not mean I will bow to you," he whispered before turning and leaving.

"If he ever gets that close to you again, I may swallow him in one bite," Luna sounded angry.

"Just forget him," I brushed off his comment. "Remember, we can't trust him anyway," I made my way over to Beloiuhn. "Matt?"

"Ready to go," he asked without looking at me.

"No," I crossed my arms. "I'm not going to go anywhere until the others catch up."

I saw Matt squeeze his hands into a fist," You're stubborn," he noted. "And you don't see the big picture."

"I mean it. I won't go."

"I don't want to have to force you," Matt sounded bored with the conversation.

"You would not dare," Luna stepped next to me.

Matt did not seem intimated by us at all if anything we were just annoying kids asking to be taken to the park.

"I won't stay a second past midday. If I have to put you to sleep and drag you, I will."

"Midday then," I agreed.

We waited... and waited... and waited. There was no sign of them, there was no sign of any life. I just sat under the shade Luna provided me as we kept our eyes peeled for a sign of them.

"Are we really just going to sit here?," I heard Corin ask, but ignored him. The sun was now a quarter of the way up in the sky and I knew my time was half up.

"There!," Luna suddenly stood and I fell back on the ground.

"Where?!," I didn't even let my fall effect me. I squinted and saw a glint of something moving in the sky. A small glimmer from the sun as it approached.

"Who is it?," Beloiuhn seemed focused.

"I can't tell," Corin shielded his eyes.

"We're still protected by my spell. They can't see us, whoever it is," Matt told us.

"It could be them," my heart filled with hope.

They got closer and closer and I saw the three colors: Red, Pink and purple.

"It's them!," I jumped. "They're okay! They made it!," I hugged Luna tightly.

Matt lowered is protection and told us to wait while he approached them. He and Beloiuhn flew to meet them and they all came and landed.

"You're okay!," I ran up to Verona and Serena slide off her back.

She hugged me tightly," I'm glad you made it out safe," she told me.

"Are you hurt?," I asked.

"I'll be okay. No major damage," she smiled. "Thanks to Diamond and Razor."

Collin and Ashley both came over, Collin looked relieved. "It's good to see we all made it."

"Are you guys okay?," I asked.

"Fine and dandy," Ashley crossed her arms then whispered. "What is he doing here?"

"He just kind of showed up as we were escaping," I shrugged. "He said he heard the noise. What was it? What was that thing?"

Serena shook her head," I don't know. I've never seen it before..."

"Was it spies?," Matt asked.

"We don't know," Collin told us. "Serena was in bad shape, Verona too, so Ashley and I tired to heal them, but it wasn't working. We waited for an ambush but it never came."

"What took you so long?," Matt asked.

"Thanks for the help by the way," Ashley sneered.

"Yeah, I can see you really cared," Serena crossed her arms.

"We waited didn't we?," Matt countered.

"I made us wait" I corrected him.

"We went on foot for a while, Verona couldn't fly but once whatever it was wore off... we booked it as fast as we could," Collin told us and the girls nodded.

"It was like I was entirely numb," Verona conveyed.

"I'm glad you all made it out" Corin stepped over.

"Convenient you show up right after we're attacked," Serena stated accusingly.

"I had nothing to do with it."

"We don't have to time to squabble. We wasted enough just sitting around," he turned to Ashley and Serena," No offense. Now we need to get moving. You can all fly?"

Everyone nodded,"Then let's go."

"Alyson," Collin grabbed my arm. "Did the egg... hatch?"

I shook my head," Not yet."

He nodded then climbed back on Razor and we all took off, making our way down the shoreline away from Marna. We stopped in the afternoon, Razor, Verona and Diamond were exhausted, they had been flying nonstop to reach us. Matt let us camp early, it was obvious he was taking charge again, just like he had down on our last mission. This time Collin didn't seem to be fighting him and was happy to be in the background.

As we were eating Serena told us everything, the stun her falling, all of her senses were gone; she said it was almost impossible to hear, see, or feel. Verona said what she went through was similar.

"It sounds awful," Luna felt bad for them.

"Yes, it is something I never want to happen again" Verona curled up beside Serena.

"Matt, where are we?," Collin asked.

"Tomorrow, we'll reach a point about midmorning when we can cross the lake. Then we'll have to start flying higher during the day, just until we pass Daret and Yazuac. My plan is to fly somewhere between them, but it can busy with travelers."

"When are we going to make it to Vroengarg?," I asked him.

"With Luna being so young, I hope we make the trip in 5 days."

"Five days!," Corin was shocked. "Easily the trip could be in 2 or 3, we've being going so slow as it is."

"I don't want to harm the egg" Luna told him.

"Believe me, I flew like tomorrow was not certain on my way here and the egg is still fine."

Luna grumbled but did not argue with Corin.

"Corin's right," Serena said, I could see it was physically had for her to say it. "We don't have time as a luxury."

Collin nodded, "And we'll still have two more to get both on separate sides of Alagaesia."

Matt turned to me.

"Luna can ride just as fast as the rest of you" I told them confidently.

"Thank you," Luna nuzzled me with her snout.

"So I guess the next stop would be the Du Weldenvarden?," Serena asked.

"But we still have to find the egg on the island, that might be a complication..," Matt told them but there voices faded in the background as the sweet melody called to me. The hum was ringing in my ears, I turned to where the chest sat beside me.

"You hear it again too?" Luna asked.

I nodded and opened the lid the melody now louder, a new split in the shell was visible and it was raised like the tiny dragon inside was finally pushing against it to break free.

"It's hatching," my breath caught as I saw the egg rock within the chest.

The side of the shell split and connected to the crack on the top, now all the dragon had to do was push out and it would be free from it's egg. I watched eagerly, my anticipation climbing until the egg rocked again and she pushed her way out. The top of the shell flipped over and exposed the small dark gray dragon. I could hear her humming, the song was almost deafening as she tried to stand and almost stumbled over her own shell.

"Oh my god...," I was speechless. "She's beautiful," I gaped in awe.

"She is more than words can say," Luna was also stunned by her arrival.

I looked up and the whole campsite was staring at me I hadn't heard them and seeing them made me remember that they were even there.

"It's h-hatched?," Serena voice was unsteady.

I nodded my cheeks started to sting from my permanent smile, I looked back into the chest and now she was looking at me. She opened her mouth and screeched, which made me jump a little.

I turned to Luna," I forgot you used to do that."

"She does not know how to talk yet," Luna reminded me.

"It's a girl?," Ashley wasn't convinced.

Luna lowered her head to where the small gray dragon was attempting to climb out and nodded" It is a girl."

"A girl... woah...," I was again overpowered by watching the dragon that my mind couldn't even form words.

She jumped out of the box and landed on the ground, stumbling again and falling over.

"What a sight to witness" Razor mentioned. I then noticed that all the dragons were watching the baby intently as she attempted to walk.

She clumsily walked towards Collin. Matt immediately stood up," Don't touch it! Back away," he commanded urgently and Collin scurried away from the tiny beast.

"Matt!," I scolded him. "You'll scare her."

"No one can touch a dragon that's not theirs before the bond is made. It can kill you," Ashley told me.

"Alyson, make the bond," Matthew directed

I stood up and walked over to where she had slipped and fell again, I reached out, but hesitated.

"How do we know it's me?," I looked to Matt. "What is she's yours?"

He shook his head," She's not."

"But when we dug the chest up, she was around all of us... maybe it was one of you that is her bond" I looked to Ashley.

"Alyson," Matt walked over to me. "She's yours. She hatched for you, you need to make that bond."

The small dark dragon shuffled away from us and across the camp towards the fire. She stopped shy of the flame and stared at it mesmerized.

"It's been so long since I've seen a fresh hatching," Diamond swooned a the sight.

"It's much smaller than I remember," Valor kept his gaze on her.

"She is ours" Luna told me privately. "I can feel it."

I couldn't look away from her small body the fire shinning on her dark scales.

"I can feel it too," I was rushed with the feeling of protection and love for the small creature.

I stepped towards the fire and got on my knees, right as I was reaching for her, she turned and screeched at me. She took off towards the lake, Ashley and Serena leaped out of her way, both scared to accidentally touch her. Beloiuhn goes in front of her and blocks her bath, she screeches at him and turns but he boxes her in. I rush over and reach in to stroke her wet slimy scales.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!," I screamed and feel to the floor.

The lightening bolt of torture searing through me was unbearable and I thought for a moment that I was going to die. I heard a dragon roar and then a small screech but then all I could hear was humming as the white torment flooded my body. Maybe she wasn't mine and this is what happens when you touch an unbounded dragon that's not yours!? I'm going to die... I'm dead.

"Alyson? Are you okay?," Collin was now beside me.

The pain faded, washing out like the tide, but my hand was tender, like I had been cut. I sat up, the small gray dragon was trembling in front of me.

"Is she okay?" I was scared and picked her up with my good hand. The baby whimpered in my hands and curled up, tucking her tail underneath her like a scared dog.

"She must have felt it too" Luna grunted.

I looked past the campsite to Luna," Are you okay?," I asked her.

There was a piece of my brain a small portion but it was there something new. I had never felt it before or maybe never noticed it but when I looked at it it was just fear and pain.

"I... I felt it too. That pain. I wasn't expecting it."

"So you both felt it?," I looked down at the baby, she slowly sat up as if the moment had passed for her too. "Is that normal?," I asked Collin.

He was at a loss for words" I-I... I don't k-know."

"It must be because you are now all connected. All three of you share a link."

I reached for the new spot in my brain it was no longer scared or in pain but now I could sense it was hunger. The baby rubbed against my arm similar to how a cat would and slowly wandered back to camp. She lifted her head smelling finding her way to where the meat was stashed.

"She's hungry," I told them.

"I feel it too..." Luna was awestruck. "Not only do I feel Alyson but also the hatchling."

"Remarkable" Beloiuhn was impressed.

Matt reached in the bag and tossed some raw meat out the scalely creature tried to catch it but she stumbled and fell. She wasn't discouraged she jumped up and ripped a piece off and swallowed happily. I stood up and slowly circled the fire making sure I could see her at all times before sitting down.

"So it's true" Corin finally spoke. "You're the Skulblaka Ebrithil? It's real," he sounded like he was in a dream.

"It's real," Matt confirmed and tossed the baby another small piece of meat.

"It seems impossible," Valor shook his head.

"Yet here we are," Ashley smiled at the small gray dragon who was done eating. "We can touch her now, right?," Ashley looked at me.

"I would think so," I checked with Matt who nodded.

Ashley let the baby smell her hand and Serena stroked her back softly, she then screeched at them and came running over to Luna.

"Oops... sorry," Serena apologized.

The baby hid behind Luna's talons then jumped out and screeched at the girls again before retreating.

"She sure is feisty," Collin chuckled.

"You sure have your hands full there," Razor acknowledged, bending down to be eye level with the baby.

"We can handle it," I smiled to Luna who was watching the baby dig in the dirt.

"How many more eggs are out there?," Corin asked.

I chose to let someone else answer as I watched the baby play in the dirt.

"There will be 5," Matt told him.

"Five?!," Corin almost choked. "Five dragons? One rider?"

"Yes, all of which are spell bound to her now," Matt sat down next to the fire.

I turned to him," what do you mean?"

"Now that more than one has hatched for the same Rider... they will all wait for you. At least that's what Tartahi wrote."

"But the next egg is in the Vault of Souls, so it could have been given to another Rider already," Ashley mentioned.

"I doubt it," Collin shook his head," Tarathi wasn't an idiot."

"All of our dragons hatched for us and they were spell bound," she countered.

"nd he went crazy," Serena defended Ashley.

"Yeah, but he was still brilliant," Matt finished his food.

"She has so much energy," Luna used her claw to playfully bat the baby.

"So did you. You didn't sleep at all the first night."

"I hope she is not like me."

I looked to Matt" So when we get tot he Vault and find the egg, will it hatch right away?"

Matt shrugged," All eggs hatch at their own pace."

"I just mean, if we get there in two days and find the egg and it hatch, they'll only be a few days apart."

"Almost as if they were twins," Luna chuckled.

"Yes... I guess that might happen..."

"And how am I supposed to fight this guy, Conandus, with 4 baby dragons?," I asked him now worried.

She can't even talk, let alone fight.

"We would never let her go into battle like this," Luna agreed.

"One thing at a time alright? We should all get some sleep, big day of flying tomorrow," Matt ended the conversation.

"I can take first watch," Serena volunteered. "Keep the baby from wandering off," she smiled.

Everyone settled into sleep, once Luna laid down and I laid with her, the baby followed us and curled up in my lap. Luna and I both watched her until we knew she was asleep.

"I guess she's not like you," I joked.

"I guess not," Luna closed her eyes.