Chapter Six: Learning to Fly

Justin: I looked outside just in time to see Javis walk past. Her wings were loosely folded along her back, and she seemed very content with herself. I noticed feathers stuck in her teeth and grinned. She'd been defending her friends from the crows again. Alina beckoned Javis and said something. I don't know what, since I was inside and she was outside, but it made Javis unfurl her wings and jog over.

Alina shook out the leather bundle she was carrying and attached it to Javis. I realized it was a saddle. Alina said something else to Javis, who leaned down and took Alina's shirt delicately in her teeth, lifting Alina into the saddle. Alina grinned and told Javis to do something, pointing to the sky. Javis took a short, loping run and launched herself into the air.

I fell over backwards in my haste to go outside. I ran out into the backyard and waved to the neighbor, then searched the sky for Alina and Javis. The neighbor, a young man who was older than Alina and Jonathan by about two years, waved back and ran up the hill to join me. "Hey, kid. I'm Kenneth. Who're you?" I shook his hand. "Justin. Nice to meet you, Kenneth." Kenneth looked up at the sky as well, following my gaze. "What's so interesting, Justin?"

I shook my head. "Um, Javis...uh, Alina..." my voice trailed off. Kenneth looked confused.

"Alina?"

I grinned. "My older sister."

Kenneth's face brightened with understanding. "Oh, yeah. Her. What about her?"

I swallowed, aware that I might have said too much. "Um, it's kind of a long story. I'm sure you have something better to do."

Kenneth folded his arms. "Nope. I'm out of school for the summer, and I want to know what's going on 'round here. I saw your sister calling something, sounded like 'Javis, but I'm not sure. I had to go clean up a mess my...pet made. What's going on?"

I swallowed again. "Well, first: Do you believe in mythical creatures?"

Kenneth raised an eyebrow. "Like Unicorns and dragons and Phoenixes and such?" I nodded. He shrugged. "Sure, why not."

I gulped. "Well, we have in our possession six dragons of various colors."

Kenneth nodded, than his face got a shocked look. "You mean, like, real dragons?"

I grinned. "Yep. Six of them. Want to meet them? All except Javis, who's taking a flight right now." I called the dragons over.

Kenneth didn't notice them until Trahern's shadow fell over him. Then he whirled around and grinned, muttering "finally," under his breath. Trahern cocked his head at him. Byron looked at me.

Who's this, Justin? He asked. He had discovered Mind-speaking when he was two months old.

"This is Kenneth. Kenneth, this is Byron, Trahern, Arra, Fabian and Dion." I said, indicating each. As I said their names, they bowed their heads in greeting, being extremely polite. Kenneth bowed a little, still looking pale. Byron was impressed by his politeness.

You're very polite, Kenneth. He said, favoring him with a rare Mind-speak. It wasn't often that a dragon chose to talk to anyone but their riders and other dragons.

Kenneth got a funny look on his face. "Thanks. Excuse my lack of knowledge, but which of you regal creatures said that?"

Byron snorted. I did. Me. Byron.

Kenneth bowed. I smiled. A young woman with blonde hair similar to Kenneth's called him.

"Coming, Kendra." He smiled at me. "Twin sister." Then he loped down to his yard. I grinned, then swung myself onto Byron. Actually, I had never actually flown before. I had Byron take a test flight first, then got on. Byron had to help, of course, because I was not skilled at dragon mounting. By the time I was ready, Javis and Alina had returned. She lent me her riding saddle, which was the wrong size for her.

I sat down and said, All right, Byron. You can start flying! Byron took a long lope, then jumped. I closed my eyes briefly against the wind, then opened them as the sensation flying took over. I looked down and saw the farmlands surrounding our house. They were tiny, making up small patches in what looked like a large, spreading patchwork quilt. I raised my face to the wind and smiled. How's this, Justin? Fun? I nodded. "Yeah." I smiled and raised my arms up in the air.

"YAHOO!"

Byron smiled a dragony smile. Wonderful, isn't it? Suddenly, Trahern appeared beside us.

Come quick! Amara is on the roof!

Byron swooped around and we headed home as fast as his wings could take him. We got there as Amara was about to sit down. But just as she did, she lost her balance. Screaming, she windmilled her arms as she tried to stop her fall. I realized we weren't going to get there in time. I screamed in agony.

"AMARA!"

Suddenly, a bronze dragon with deep blue wing bones and spikes swooped out of nowhere and his rider caught Amara in midair. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Then, as the bronze dragon landed, I caught a glimpse of long cut blonde hair. I asked Byron to land, then just about fell off in my hurry to see if Amara was okay. I ran over to the Amara's savior and thanked him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You saved her!"

Kenneth, for that's who the rider was, smiled. "No problem. What were you doing on the roof, Amara?"

She blushed. "Watching the dragons fly."

I suddenly felt very tired, And my head started to hurt. "I'm going inside." I said. I held a hand to my head and walked indoors. Alina looked up from her book, flipped her long black hair over her shoulder, smiled, and went back to reading. I grinned, then took an Advil. A few hours later, when my headache was still there, I took my temperature. I had had to wait for the Advil to wear off. I had a 105.6 temperature. Mom rushed me to the hospital, Alina staying home to watch the rest of us, even though she wanted to come as well.