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Jellybean

             It was a typical, pleasant, peaceful day at Drakadyo Academy in the city of Ruleroar. Hundreds of students have come to learn interesting, useful information and skills. Among them, were the Skyhoods. The friends were sitting down in a zoology class. A subject rarely taught at the second-class academy. Their highly intelligent and carefree friend, Laylee the Joyful, insisted that they take the opportunity to participate in this lesson.

 

            Zoology was an interesting subject, and they had the good fortune to be studying the most magical and awe-inspiring creature the world has ever known: dragons. As the professor spoke, the classroom projector showed several images of charts and displays explaining the various facts of the marvelous, scaled beasts. Laylee was completely enthralled. The projector shined a new image showing a wyvern’s internal structure.

 

            “As you can see, the wyvern’s organ placement is somewhat similar to our own,” the professor explained. “Deep within their throat, they store their elemental magic for exhalation.” He pointed to the throat and gestured around it to express the action. “Some dragons are capable of summoning elements with their body as well, just like us. It is all determined by battle experience and age.”

 

            Skydan and Varoura were in wrapped attention, but felt they were about to lose interest due to the professor’s bland presentation. Kayo was also focused on the lesson, but Zondike and Raveesha looked off and let their minds wander, uninterested by the explanations. Laylee was the most interested out of everyone in the class. She could learn about this subject all day long. Deep down, she couldn’t help but hope the professor would make a mistake so she could correct it. It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but she loved to show off how smart she was to her peers.

 

            By the time the lesson ended, Laylee was the only one who was not mentally exhausted by boredom. The Skyhoods went to the main hall lounge to recover from the science session. They all sat together on a couple couches surrounding a small coffee table. While his friends appeared uncomfortably agitated, Skydan tried to liven up the mood with a smile.

           

            “Well…that was…new,” he said in a sheepish chuckle. Varoura seemed to be the only one positively affected by his words. The others were still bitter. All except Laylee, who was as perky and joyful as ever. “OK. I admit,” Skydan shrugged. “The class probably would have been better if…if…”

 

            “If the professor was a bit more entertaining,” Varoura said, finishing Skydan’s sentence with a smile. Raveesha responded by grabbing a pillow and screaming in it. A small wisp of smoke puffed from the stuffed cloth.

 

            “Don’t set it on fire, Raveesha,” Kayo said in a nonchalant tone. The black and pink scaled girl lowered the pillow, showing her unamused, displeased expression.

 

            “What a pain,” she groaned.

 

            “For once, I completely agree with you, Veev,” Zondike sighed as he rolled over on the couch. “I haven’t been that bored since I was sick in bed with purple fever last Fall.” Skydan could not help but chuckle at his friends. It was admittedly amusing to see them so comically irritated. He rolled his eyes and lay back on the couch he sat on with Varoura.

 

            “Oh well. There’s always the next class,” he sighed.

 

            “Oh, cut the stuffy mad faces, guys,” Laylee giggled with a giddy smile. “Wasn’t it profoundly satisfying to be informed with such intriguing knowledge of dragon zoology?”

 

            “No!” Raveesha snapped, slouching forward in her seat. “You shut your big, smarty skirt mouth so we can recover from that boredom fest.” Laylee’s joyful smile turned into an irritated pout. She crossed her arms and looked away.

 

            “Fine. Maybe I’ll save my genius mind for someone who needs it,” she sulked. Varoura, feeling sorry for her pink, perky friend, decided to try to cheer her up.

 

            “Don’t be upset, Laylee. You really are the smartest of all of us. We really admire you for that.” That compliment was all that was needed for Laylee’s joyful demeanor to return. She smiled and brought her hands to her face in a bashful gesture.

 

            “Aww. Thank you, Varoura. You are just so sweet,” she cooed. Silence fell on the Skyhoods for a while. Though they did not speak, they felt better being out of that boring class. However, their calm turned to shock and awe when they saw who was now approaching them. The Skyhoods stared with wide eyes as Astarvolt, the Master of Lightning, walked towards them. His unusually serious expression sent chills down their spines.

 

            “Oh boy,” Raveesha moaned. “This should be good.” Astravolt approached the group and looked at each of them with his dark purple eyes. The Skyhoods were silent. Finally, the Master spoke.

 

            “Hello Skyhoods.” Once again the lightning elemental’s voice was calm and cool like a mellow rock star. He sounded a bit more stern than usual, though.

 

            “He-Hello Master,” Zondike stammered, trying to hide his nervousness. Astravolt did not look at the Wildfire. Instead, he seemed to have his eyes locked on none other than Laylee. The sweet, joyful dragonman smiled nervously as the master of her element walked closer. Raveesha looked both confounded and a bit irritated, raising an eyebrow as she looked at her pink scaled friend. The rest of the Skyhoods remained silent as Astravolt stood in front of Laylee and crossed his arms. Laylee managed to maintain a polite and gleeful smile, but deep down felt a bit intimidated by the powerful warrior’s presence.

 

            “Can I help you, Master?” she asked in her usual happy tone, blinking a few times.

 

            “I need your help with something,” Astravolt said almost immediately. There was no hesitation in his statement. He was positive with his words. Laylee was taken aback. Her heart began to race. What could the revered and powerful Master of Lightning need her help with? The Skyhoods were equally surprised.

 

            “Umm…Master?” Skydan blurted out. “Can we help at all, too?” Varoura held Skydan’s hand. Zondike and Raveesha stared wide eyed while Kayo, miraculously, still managed to keep his ice-cold composure. Despite their reactions, Astravolt kept his sights on Laylee.

 

            “Only your unusual intelligence and gentle nature can assist me in this predicament,” he stated to her. “You must come with me to a small cavern in Crystal Forest. There is something there that needs investigating.” Laylee’s nervousness slowly turned into excitement. The opportunity to assist a Master was a fantasy come to life. Her bright, delighted smile blossomed like a rose in sunlight. She placed her hand on her chest and spoke in a grateful, caring tone.

 

            “I would be beyond honored to assist you in your complex task of knowledge, Master Astravolt. Lead the way and I shall accompany you with sincere eagerness.” Skydan and Varoura chuckled at Laylee’s descriptive words. Raveesha, however, rolled her eyes, visibly annoyed. Even Astravolt himself appeared to slightly raise an eyebrow at the Joyful’s detailed sentences.

 

            “Very well,” he said, turning around towards the academy’s main doors. “Follow me.” The electric rock star strolled away with great fortitude in his stride. Laylee looked at her friends and gave a gleeful squeal, then skipped over to Astravolt’s side. A playful sway of her hips came with every step. Her joy showed in every action she made. As they exited the academy, the Skyhoods stared in amazement and surprise. Skydan gave a small shrug and amused grin.

 

            “Oh well. I guess she’s gonna have a blast today,” he said with a casual chuckle. Varoura giggled and wrapped her arms around him, cuddling close.

 

            “Isn’t she lucky,” she cooed, sounding very amused.

 

            “Chica con suerte. Lucky girl,” Zondike laughed, looking back at where their friend left. Raveesha clenched her fists and flopped backward,  looking at the ceiling.

 

            “Whatever. She can exhibit her pink, sparkly brain all she wants. I don’t care,” she grumbled with a disdainful hiss. Kayo glanced at her with a slightly disapproving look.

 

            “Jealousy is one of the most dangerous of emotions, Raveesha,” he warned her. Raveesha shrugged and casually put her hands behind her head in a relaxed posture.

 

            “I’m not jealous,” she sighed. “Just can’t believe out of all the smart people in the academy, the rock and roll Master of Lightning would choose our nerdy pink princess.”

 

            “You actually have a point there, Veev,” Skydan admitted. “Laylee isn’t the only genius at the academy. I wonder why Astravolt would choose her for help.” As he spoke, he stroked Varoura’s waist length hair.

 

            “Laylee is more than just smart, Skydan. She’s very gentle and kind, too,” she mentioned. “Perhaps he needs Laylee for that, too.”

 

            “Oh great. Now I’m curious,” Skydan sighed. “Now I want to know what Astravolt wants.”

 

            “We’ll investigate it later,” Kayo stated in a firm tone. “For now, let’s allow them to handle whatever task is at hand.” The Skyhoods were quiet, satisfied with their eldest friend’s suggestion. Skydan couldn’t help but chuckle and whisper in Varoura’s ear.

 

            “Bossy, bossy.” A silent taunt to his big brother figure friend.

 

            As Laylee flew through the city of Ruleroar with the Master of Lightning, she was brimming to the tip of her tail with pure delight. To think that Astravolt, the rock star warrior himself would choose her to support him in one of his tasks. He taught her nearly everything she knew about how to wield the lightning element. Memories of being ten years old and watching him teach young teens how to fight flowed through her mind.

 

            Once they flew through the cracked open city gates and entered the wide-open fields of Vorika, Laylee felt compelled to ask a question.

 

            “So master, do you have any details on this particular task worth mentioning?” Astravolt looked back at Laylee.

 

            “Well, I need someone who is not the least bit menacing or intimidating,” he explained. “Only a gentle and harmless soul can handle this.” Laylee momentarily lost her thrilled smile. Though she liked being called gentle, harmless almost sounded like an insult. She may have been best at her smarts and sweetness, but she wanted to be a strong fighter, too. Just like her friends and those she admired most. Laylee felt her happy, elated personality hid her inner strength. Perhaps, if the Master of Lightning himself considered her harmless, she should try a little harder to show her power as a dragonman of Vorika. “Forgive me,” Astravolt suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts. “I shouldn’t have said harmless. Sorry if I offended you.” Laylee was surprised the Master of Lightning seemed to read her mind. “Don’t put on an act to impress me, Joyful. Feel free to be yourself. That is what is best for everyone.” Those words reassured Laylee enough to relax her thoughts. Astravolt was not just a warrior. He was also a teacher responsible for sharing the deepest knowledge of the lightning element. Hiding her true self would only weaken her confidence and self-esteem.

 

            “Thank you, Master,” she said in a gentle tone. “That makes me feel so much better.” She remembered that despite the lightning elemental’s dark, intimidating, rock and roll attire and unpredictable personality, he was truly kind and cared about the young men and women he taught. Once again feeling the thrill of accompanying him on a mission, Laylee did a small twirl in the air as she followed him above the beautiful landscapes. Finally, in the distance, they saw the gorgeous purple trees of Crystal Forest. At the base of the woods Laylee could see glimpses of the glistening, colorful crystals that grew across the forest floor.

 

            “Fly low. We’ll be there shortly,” Astravolt stated as he descended to a lower glide. She followed behind him, mimicking his path in the air as they entered the shade of the oddly hued trees. Upon entering the woods, Laylee was astounded by the sights of the sparkling, reflecting, rainbow-colored crystals. The beauty of this forest was never something she tired of. No time to admire it, though. An urgent task was at hand. Though she did not know what it was, the Joyful remained vigilant, determined to prove her worthiness to the Master of Lightning.

 

            Astravolt flew through the brush of trees with tremendous grace and precision. Laylee, also an accomplished flier, was able to keep up. Finally, he began to descend closer to the ground and slow down. With a strong flap, he touched down, landing on the grass. Laylee landed right beside him, her face blooming with a smile of excitement.

 

            “So, where to now, Master?” she asked with a gleeful tone. Astravolt pointed towards a slope leading down to lower ground.

 

            “That way,” he replied with a serious expression. “Let’s hurry.” Laylee followed the Lightning Master down the hill. This was a part of the forest Laylee had never been to. Curiosity was prickling at her brilliant mind. She simply had to ask questions, hoping she would not disturb Astravolt.

 

            “Master, please tell me. Why do you require my intelligence as well as my gentle nature? What makes me the perfect helper for your task?” Astravolt pushed a bunch of branches out of his way and went deeper down the hill.

 

           

“Because we’re dealing with something rather sensitive, unusual, and fragile,” he answered. “Actually, we’re dealing with a creature in distress.” Laylee’s curiosity was nearly satisfied, and her excitement increased. However, her heart felt a slight twinge, realizing this was indeed a crucial task. A living creature in trouble was indeed a serious event.

 

“Oh my!” she exclaimed. “Well don’t worry. I will do my best to help this innocent beast. Where is it?” The second Laylee said those words, the two of them arrived in front of a large, deep, dark cave. Astravolt turned towards it and walked inside.

 

“In here,” he said. Laylee lost her smile and her eyes widened. Going into a dark cave was an intimidating thought, but she refused to feel any fear. The Master of Lightning needed her, and so did the creature. As she entered the cavern, she wondered what beast could possibly be in trouble. It might be a slasher cougar. Those big cats were common in Vorika. Maybe it was a dragon, but what dragon could fit in this cave? It was kind of small.

 

“So, what creature is in need of our help?” Laylee asked.

 

“A beast not normally seen in our country,” Astravolt replied. “One that is obviously far away from home and scared out of its true nature.” The pieces of the puzzle were coming together. Laylee was eager to find this rare beast rarely seen in Vorika. As they traveled further into the cave, the rocks became a purplish tint and glowing mushrooms lit up in the darkness. However, Laylee noticed another, strange pattern of lights deep in a corner shaded by stalactites. These glowing specks were slightly greener than the mushrooms and seemed to be shaped in detailed patterns. The lights reflected off Laylee’s eyes, entrancing her. “There it is,” Astravolt said, pointing at the glowing markings. She looked closer, and realized the glows were moving. Then, she heard a guttural, pained, beastly breath. The Joyful took a step back in fear, wondering what was lying down in front of her.

 

Astravolt then pulled a device out of his t-shirt vest. It was a light bulb with a tiny switch. He placed the light on the ground and flicked it on. In an instant the cave lit up, and the creature was revealed. Laylee gasped in amazement at what she saw in the newly brightened cave. It was a dragon. It had two legs, two wings, and a stinger at the end of its tail. It was a wyvern. Its scales were a dark, beautiful blue, and its body and wings were covered in extravagant light green markings. Looking closer, she could see its eyes were a mystical light purple. A color that resembled lavender pearls from the ocean. Being well informed of the many different species of dragons, Laylee immediately knew what this dragon was.

 

“I don’t believe it,” she gasped softly in amazement. “It’s an Aquarius wyvern.” Astravolt was not surprised Laylee immediately knew species this dragon was. The Aquarius wyvern was a distinct, well-known species that was famous for its ocean habitat and glowing markings. He remained silent as Laylee gazed at the magnificent creature. However, it was clear to both of them something was not right with the wyvern. The two winged, two-legged, sting tailed dragons were known far and wide to be aggressive and dangerous. This wyvern, however, showed no signs of such power. The navy blue, purple eyed dragon folded its wings and curled its body up. Staring at Laylee and Astravolt with wide eyes, it backed away until it hit the wall. It also appeared to be trembling. “It’s a gorgeous dragon, but…” Laylee said. She took a step forward and extended her hand slightly, and the wyvern flinched. The normally ferocious creature appeared to be terribly frightened. Looking closer, it appeared to be hurt as well. She noticed several cuts and bruises on the dragon’s body. “It’s hurt, scared, and obviously an exceptionally long way from home.”

 

“Obviously,” Astravolt commented, crossing his arms. “What’s obvious is that this wyvern is not normal. An ordinary wyvern would have attempted to attack us at this close range. Something is not right with it.” Laylee began to understand why Astravolt needed help from her specifically. It was not normal for an Aquarius wyvern to be so far away from the ocean. Though dragons were naturally adventurous creatures, it was strange for one that inhabited oceans and beaches to be dead center in dry land. Also, an unusually timid creature like this required a gentle presence to investigate. Despite the display of fear, the wyvern could lash out with its venomous stinger at any moment. They could not risk intimidating it with their power. It would take impressive knowledge of dragons and a gentle soul to discover what troubles this beast. Understanding the situation, Laylee gave a slightly serious expression and nodded. A highly revered creature was in distress, and it was up to her to rescue it.

 

“I understand now,” she said to Astravolt. “Leave it to me.” Astravolt took a couple steps back to give Laylee room to examine the distressed dragon. The pink dragonman girl slowly approached the beast, never losing her guard. The navy blue, green striped wyvern trembled harder and turned to the side. Once she was close enough, Laylee observed its injuries and physical features. She brought her finger to her chin in a thinking gesture as she studied the wyvern’s legs and wings. The intelligent young dragonman observed the features with great care for several minutes. No look of shock or intrigue appeared on her face through the examination. Astravolt was getting curious about what Laylee was thinking. Finally, she spoke. “Well, it’s clear as a polished fruit juice glass now,” she said.

 

“What is?” Astravolt asked. Laylee pointed at the trembling wyvern’s legs and wings.

 

“These indentations in her legs and wings could only have been caused by one thing.” Astravolt raised an eyebrow in intrigue.

 

“Her?” he said. The master of lightning was surprised Laylee knew so quickly that the Aquarius wyvern was female.

 

“Yes,” Laylee replied, continuing her explanation. “There are unnatural indentations on her legs and wings as well as scarring.” Astravolt looked at the creature’s legs and wings but could not see any abnormalities himself. Laylee must have been impressively observant and sensitive to detail. “The only thing that could have caused this is a lifetime of being chained and restrained,” she said. “I’m guessing she was raised in captivity.”

 

“That would explain her unnatural timid behavior,” Astravolt commented. “What are your thoughts on bringing creature control here to take her to a rescue facility?”

 

“That would be the best option,” Laylee confirmed with a nod, still keeping her eyes on the frightened dark blue wyvern. “Be sure to get them here quickly. We still don’t know if she was released, or she escaped.” Astravolt’s purple eyes widened with an unsettling realization.

 

“Escaped?” he said. “If she escaped, I expect her owner must be searching for her this very second.” Laylee turned around and faced the lightning master.

 

“Guard her,” she said in a serious tone. “We cannot let her be taken anywhere other than someplace safe.” She stood up, and began to walk away, when the wyvern suddenly made a small growl and extended a wing towards her. Laylee jumped back in surprise, and Astravolt instinctively took a defensive stance. The dark blue dragon flinched and curled up tighter, staring at Laylee with wide, pleading eyes. She found herself entranced by the beautiful purple orbs with black, slit pupils. The creature looked like it would cry if it was capable.

 

“It seems that the wyvern has already grown fond of you, Joyful,” Astravolt said. Laylee stared with her light green eyes and gave a small, amused sigh.

 

“I wonder if she senses my ancestral ties to the ocean,” she mused, flicking her tail. Sure enough, the wyvern glanced at the rare tail flukes on the tip of her tail. “I know I might have told you this before, Master, but my grandfather was a merman. That is why my tail has flukes like a dolphin.”

 

“You must be the closest link to the ocean this dragon has encountered,” Astravolt said. Silence befell the two dragonman as they thought what to do. Looking at the frightened, trembling wyvern, realizing it was too scared to be left alone, it was clear what was needed. “Laylee, if we leave this dragon alone, she might decide to flee the cave,” Astravolt reasoned. “She seems more comfortable with you. Keep watch over her and stay quiet so you will not be found.”

 

“Understood, master,” Laylee replied, turning towards the Aquarius wyvern again. Astravolt nodded and turned around to exit the cave. Laylee observed the dragon’s features again, turning her attention to the underbelly. The joyful, intelligent dragonman’s eyes widened with surprise. She leaned in for a closer look, then looked at other parts of the creature. It let out a small grumble and opened its mouth. Laylee let out a shocked gasp, bringing her hands to her mouth in surprise. Astravolt stopped in his tracks and turned around.

 

“What is it?” he asked in a serious tone, wondering what she had noticed. Laylee took a step towards the wyvern with a look of deep concern. She blinked a few times, then crouched down to get a better look at the creature’s stomach.

 

“Distended stomach, fatigued, abnormal breathing, swollen gums due to possible forced feeding…” She paused, then gave a nod at her surprising discovery. “This poor dragon is in a gravid state.” Astravolt was instantly puzzled. At first, he thought Laylee mispronounced the word ‘grave.’

 

 “Ummm…gravid? Did I hear that right?” he asked in an unsure tone. Laylee sighed and shook her head, then faced the confused master with a smile.

 

“She’s pregnant,” she explained. “Pregnant with eggs. When a creature like a reptile is carrying eggs, they’re gravid.” Astravolt felt her face tense up in an uncomfortable look of surprise. All he could do was stare in silence. The situation was more dire than he originally thought. He turned around towards the cave exit and gave Laylee a small wave.

 

“I’ll get the experts here faster than a lightning strike in the Dry Thunder Wastelands,” he swore. “Do not let that dragon out of your sights. She cannot leave the cave.”

 

“You can count on me, master,” Laylee said, still never turning away from the terrified wyvern. Astravolt finally walked away, leaving her and the dark blue dragon alone in the dark, wet cavern. The second the lightning master was gone, the trembling beast seemed to calm down, uncoiling its body slightly and looking up at Laylee. The pink dragonman was mesmerized by the enchanting beast. Never had she been this close to a dragon. Let alone one so beautiful. The Aquarius wyvern was the only wyvern indigenous to the ocean. Letting her mind wander about the wonders of the sea this poor dragon could have experienced had she lived her life in the wild, Laylee smiled. “Don’t worry,” she reassured the frightened wyvern. “We’ll make things right for you, sweetie.” She wished she could give the wyvern a comforting pat on the head, but she did not want to risk frightening her any more than she already was. Instead, she crouched down, folded her wings, and put her hands behind her back to appear less intimidating. A technique she once learned in a documentary. The dragon let out a small, soft breath and lowered its body, staring at Laylee’s light green eyes. The Joyful silently swore she would protect this mistreated creature with all her might.

 

The Skyhoods decided to finish their day of classes early since Laylee was no longer with them. Leaving the Academy and flying off to get lunch at their favorite casual restaurant, Princess Ember’s, Raveesha showed signs of annoyance with frequent grunts and a rough frown. Skydan could not help but be amused by this, knowing the Fierce One was feeling a bit jealous of Laylee. He smiled and gave a few chuckles every time he glanced back at his black and pink scaled friend.

 

“Don’t look grouchier, Veev,” he said, trying not to show his amusement in his tone. “I’m sure there was a good reason-.”

 

“What the kludd do you mean grouchier?” Raveesha interrupted. “And don’t call me Veev, goldy tail ring bro.”

 

“Enough,” Kayo said in his cold, stern voice. “I want no arguments about Laylee while we eat. This lunch is to be peaceful and without raised voices.” Raveesha rolled her eyes and gave a long, hard sigh.

 

“All right, all right,” she moaned.

 

“Aww, you’re no fun, Kayo,” Varoura laughed, feeling the same way Skydan did. Before someone else could speak, the Skyhoods arrived at Princess Ember’s. They landed in front of the restaurant and a waiter greeted them at the door.

 

“Cinco, por favor,” Zondike said with a smile.

 

“Yes. Pénte, please,” Skydan chuckled. Everyone appeared amused by the impressive languages except for Raveesha and Kayo. The waiter chuckled and gave an understanding nod.

 

“Five it is, Skyhoods. Come right this way.” After sitting at their table, the Skyhoods chatted about current events, plans for the week, and other friendly topics. Eventually, the subject turned towards Laylee and Astravolt mysteriously requesting her assistance.

 

“Quite an honor to be chosen for a task from the Master of Lightning himself,” Kayo said. “I assume she’s quite proud of herself.” Raveesha shook her head and looked away.

 

“Whatever. It must have been something only a sweet, joyful soul like her could handle, and nothing like that interests me.”

 

“What could need the combination of smarts and sweetness?” Varoura wondered aloud.

 

“Perhaps something where violence isn’t the answer,” Zondike reasoned as he looked at the menu. Skydan looked up at the sky, wondering like his friends what Astravolt could possibly have wanted from his joyful, carefree, intelligent female friend.

 

“I just hope she doesn’t screw anything up,” Raveesha said in a casual tone. “Sometimes I feel she’s too happy for her own good.” Skydan gave a slightly agitated look and stared at Raveesha with a serious aura.

 

“Don’t underestimate her, Raveesha,” he said firmly. “Remember she’s had it rougher than her personality makes it seem. Imagine how any of us had turned out if we were raised by someone like her rich, demanding mother.” Raveesha lost her grouchy expression and her eyes widened, remembering the stories Laylee told about her cruel, overbearing mother.

 

“You have a point there, sky stripe face. If my mom was like that stitch-.”

 

“Don’t even mention it!” Zondike interrupted, closing the menu, and placing it down. “Forcing such high expectations on a child can literally kill them!”

 

“An all too common occurrence one way or another,” Kayo said coldly with a small nod. Varoura trembled and Skydan touched her shoulder to comfort her.

 

“It takes real strength to be a person like Laylee after such harsh treatment,” she said.

 

“Yeah, yeah. I admit it. You’re right,” Raveesha sighed. “I take back what I said. I’m sure our little pink brain princess can handle whatever situation Astravolt put her in.” Their confidence in their friend good and strong, the Skyhoods went back to deciding on their lunch. Deep down, though, they considered doing something to help her out when they had the chance.

 

Laylee sat in front of the frightened Aquarius wyvern for what felt like hours. The dragon seemed to be growing more comfortable with her presence. After being silent for a long time, Laylee decided to speak. She doubted the dragon would understand her, but she felt it wouldn’t hurt to try.

 

“You know, this is the first time I saw your species in person. I’ve only seen Aquarius wyvern’s on TV. Swimming in the sea, flying through the air. It’s amazing.” She paused, wondering what this dragon’s life was like in captivity. The thoughts made her sad. “I doubt you even know what a stingray is, you poor thing. That’s your kind’s favorite prey. I’m sad that you’ve probably never seen or heard of something your species is so fond of.” As she spoke to the dragon, the creature seemed to quiet its shaking to almost nothing. Its tail uncoiled and its eyes widened to get a better look at the dragonman that had stayed with it all this time. Laylee was entranced by the female dragon’s growing trust in her. She looked at the creature’s belly, wondering how far along in her gravid state she was.

 

“If you were raised in captivity, I wonder how you became gravid,” she wondered with a hint of disturbance. “Oh dear. I hope you weren’t kept for breeding purposes. That’d be just terribly cruel.” The dragon remained silent, then, for some reason, swallowed hard and shook again. Laylee wondered if she had been frightened, but realized the wyvern was not shaking from fear. Observing her body language and remembering what she learned in several past lessons and research, she came to a conclusion. “Oh my. You’re hungry, aren’t you?” The dragon swallowed hard again as if confirming her theory. Laylee felt herself trapped in a puzzling predicament. “Gosh. I can’t leave the cave, and I definitely don’t have any seafood on me at the moment,” she said, contemplating what to do.

 

Unsure what to do, Laylee pulled her magic sack out of her pleated skirt and pressed the gem on it to enlarge it. She peeked inside and rummaged through it, searching for at least a piece of fresh fruit. “Come one, come one. There has to be at least an apple or two in here,” she mumbled. Reaching her arm as deep as she could, she felt something she assumed was edible. She pulled it out but was disappointed by what she found. It was a glazed, jelly doughnut covered in jellybeans. “Oh, this won’t do,” she sighed. “Way too unhealthy.” Before she could stuff the fattening, sugary treat back in her sack, the dragon suddenly lunged forward with its mouth wide open. Caught off guard, Laylee flinched, and the doughnut fell from her grip. Before the treat could even hit the ground, the hungry wyvern chomped and swallowed it in only two bites. Laylee stood with wide eyes and a gaping mouth in total shock. She stared right into the wyvern’s eyes, and it stared back. Even the creature seemed to tell how flabbergasted she was. The female tilted her head in curiosity at the pink dragonman that stared at her. “Well, I’m speechless beyond comprehension,” Laylee proclaimed, shaking her head, and shrugging her shoulders. “Were you fed junk food like that throughout your life?” Of course, the dark blue sea wyvern did not answer. Instead, she continued giving her a look of interest. Laylee sighed and brought her palm to her face. “This is ridiculous. You silly creature. How could you have been so inappropriately cared for you developed an appetite for sugary, fatty, unhealthy food?”

 

The dragon simply gave a small exhale and sat down comfortably on the stone ground of the cavern. Laylee watched as it curled up again. Not in fear this time, but seemingly to be more comfortable. A wave of joy suddenly overcame her. She finally realized the Aquarius wyvern was starting to become more comfortable. It was unbelievable. Her gentleness and joyful demeanor were slowly working.

 

“Oh, me oh my. You certainly seem to be improving, girl,” she beamed with a joyful tone. It was then that she decided something. “You know what? I’m going to give you a name,” she stated with a nod. The dragon did not seem to understand her. It simply remained still and curled up comfortably. “But what should I name you?” Laylee wondered. “Not something anyone else would name an Aquarius wyvern. Something different and unique that doesn’t define your physical features.” As she spoke, the wyvern licked its lips and gave a small breath. It appeared to be trying to savor the taste of the jelly doughnut left in its mouth. It was surprising how much it enjoyed the treat. A wyvern would normally never like sugar. Laylee realized that the wyvern not only liked sweets. In a way, it was also sweet. It was a mother to be, it was timid, and it seemed unusually gentle. “I know!” she exclaimed with joy, bringing her fists to her chest in excitement. “I’ll call you, Jellybean!” To her utter amazement, the dragon seemed to have a positive reaction to her declaration. It raised its tail and head and looked at her with its light purple eyes. She couldn’t tell if it was because she raised her voice, or if the dragon really liked the sound of that word. She decided the volume was a more likely explanation and calmed down. “Don’t worry, Jellybean. We’ll get you the help you need.” She paused and looked back at the light of the cavern’s exit. “I just hope Astravolt will be back before anyone discovers us.”

 

Astravolt finally arrived back at Ruleroar. The second he flew through the cracked open gates, he sped up. He knew he had to get to the creature control center quickly. There was no telling if that Aquarius wyvern’s captor would find it and Laylee. He had to act fast, and speed was his greatest strength.

 

Meanwhile, the Skyhoods had just finished their lunch and were leaving Princess Ember’s. Zondike let out a loud belch and Skydan laughed.

 

“What? Are you trying to show off?” Raveesha asked.

 

“Zondike, that’s immature,” Kayo said without looking at him.

 

“Hey, I’m just trying to lighten the mood,” Zondike chuckled. “Anyone know when Laylee is going to be back? I miss her.”

 

“Me too,” Varoura sighed. “I’m sure you miss her the most, Raveesha.” Raveesha gave a testy look and crossed her arms.

 

“Dragbush,” she cursed in denial. Skydan laughed again, but he was also wondering where Laylee was. More importantly, did she need help? Feeling an approaching familiar breeze of a dragonman flying by, he and his friends looked up and saw Astravolt soar over them.

 

“Astravolt!” Varoura exclaimed, but the Master of Lightning had already zoomed past them. Before the Skyhoods could react, Skydan leaped up and flew off in pursuit of him. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Skydan!”

 

“Too late, sparkly darling,” Raveesha said to Varoura. “He’s on a damn mission.” Varoura giggled, hoping Skydan would be able to catch up with the master’s legendary speed.

 

Skydan may have wanted to consider himself ordinary, but he was far more powerful than an average dragonman. Most would never be able to chase after Astravolt, but Skydan’s flight speed was just enough for him to get within shouting distance. The Sky Blue Warrior shouted at the Master of Lightning, trying to get his attention. It seemed to work as Astravolt began to slow down.

 

“Astravolt! Where’s Laylee? What’s going on?” Skydan shouted as he caught up. The master suddenly turned around, staring at him with his deep purple eyes. Caught off guard, Skydan stopped and hovered in place.

 

“Skydan,” Astravolt said, his eyes appearing to glow with intrigue. “Good. You can help.” Skydan was surprised by what he heard.

 

“Help with what?” he asked.

 

“Go to Crystal Forest and find the cave a quarter mile east of the pond near the center of the woods. She needs some support in case trouble arrived.” Before Skydan could react, Astravolt flew off, making a thundering clap with his wings in a burst of lightning speed. Stunned and silent in midair, the Sky-Blue Warrior blinked in bewilderment. However, his mind quickly processed what the Master of Lightning said, and his expression turned serious. He flew off, determined to get to the cave in Crystal Forest where Laylee was.

 

The Skyhoods looked towards where Skydan flew off, wondering if he managed to catch up to Astravolt. Varoura and Kayo were not anxious at all, while Zondike and Raveesha were practically itching with curiosity. Zondike paced back and forth while Raveesha crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the city stone tile.

 

“Calm down, you guys,” Varoura said in a reassuring tone. “Skydan will be back soon.”

 

“Yeah. When he gives up tailing the speedster rock star himself,” Raveesha growled. “There ain’t no way he’s catching that mad charger.”

 

“Don’t underestimate Skydan, Veev,” Zondike said. “He is the Sky-Blue Warrior. His power goes beyond most others his age.” The second the Latino dragonman finished his sentence, the Skyhoods saw their friend flying straight towards them, soaring above at high speed.

 

“Skydan!!” Varoura shouted with a wave. As he passed by his friends, he shouted at them without even turning to look.

 

“Follow me to Crystal Forest if you want to help Laylee!” By the time he finished his shout, he turned a corner and was out of sight. Varoura did not hesitate. She immediately enlarged her wings and took to the air to follow her lover. Kayo silently looked at the others, wondering when they would process Skydan’s declaration. Zondike and Raveesha looked at each other, then gave firm nods and serious expressions. They too flew off, and Kayo followed behind them.

 

“That blue streaking sky splitter better not fly beyond our speed,” Raveesha muttered.

 

“He really should have stopped to tell us where she was,” Kayo mentioned.

 

“Less talking, more flying!” Zondike exclaimed as they sped past the many city structures. They hoped they would catch sight of Skydan soon.

 

Skydan slipped through the cracked open gates of Ruleroar with a full twirl. He immediately sped towards the east, intent on reaching Crystal Forest as quickly as possible. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice call out behind him.

 

“Skydan! Wait for me!” It was Varoura’s voice. Realizing he was flying too quickly for his friends to follow, the Sky-Blue Warrior slowed down. Varoura, flapping her wings frantically, finally reached his side and panted from exhaustion. “You are too fast for my starry wings,” she said in a joking tone. Skydan chuckled, moving closer to Varoura as they flew through the air.

 

“My bad,” he apologized. “Astravolt said Laylee was in a cave in Crystal Forest. A quarter mile east of the pond.”

“Which pond?” Varoura asked. Skydan felt his heart tense up. His eyes widened with a troubling realization.

 

“Umm. I don’t remember,” he muttered. “Astravolt came and went. I barely had time to process what he said.”

 

“That lightspeed guitar player needs to learn slow down,” Varoura said with a roll of her eyes.

 

“No matter. We’ll find her. There are only six ponds in the forest. We’ll just search all of them.” Skydan’s words were a bit uncertain. Ideally, he should find Laylee as soon as possible. The forgotten info could cost them time. “Kludd! I’m such an idiot! I can’t believe I forgot part of the-.”

 

“Don’t pummel yourself,” Varoura interrupted. “Laylee is good, smart, and strong. She’ll be OK.” Skydan felt reassured by his lover’s words. Laylee may have been joyful and gentle, but she was a lot stronger and cleverer than most thought. Whatever task Astravolt recruited her for, he was confident she could handle it.

 

Laylee had only spent less than an hour in the cave with the Aquarius wyvern she affectionately named Jellybean. Despite their short time together, they had formed a strong bond. Even though she knew the dragon could not understand her, she found it was comforted whenever she spoke. So, she quietly chattered about various things like her knowledge of her favorite subjects, her friends, and her home life. Jellybean simply stared at her as she talked, appearing content and comfortable hearing her feminine, joyful voice.

 

“It doesn’t matter how smart I am. My mom always wants me to be the best at everything and anything. She is so mean, so strict, and so picky. Would you believe me if I told you she once locked me in my home’s music room for twelve hours? She told me I couldn’t come out until I perfected a certain song. My friends were so mad when I told them what happened they said they wished they could lock my mom in a room.”

 

Jellybean was quiet as a mouse sneaking around a mansion for food scraps. The wyvern did not make a sound. She did not tremble anymore, either. Laylee was really glad the gravid dragon was in such a relaxed state now. Being calm will be good for her eggs developing within her.

 

“I’m sure you’ll be a much better mom than my mom, Jellybean” Laylee said in a comforting tone. The dragon’s eyes seemed to widen a bit. Then, it did something that the joyful pink dragonman was not expecting. It brought its head forward and nuzzled her side. Laylee was a bit startled. She knew how aggressive normal wyverns were so she couldn’t help but flinch as Jellybean moved her head towards her. All she was met with was a gentle nudge on her side and an affectionate rub. It was just too sweet. Laylee could not help herself. She returned the dark blue dragon’s hug by gently holding its large head in her arms. “Aww. You know, for a dragon, you sure are cute, Jellybean.”

 

Suddenly, the touching moment was interrupted by a noise outside. It sounded like someone yelling. Not screaming in distress, but intentionally yelling as if to be heard. Laylee did not hear what the voice said at first, but Jellybean instantly tensed up upon hearing it. The sudden startle and complete loss of her new friend’s relaxed state worried the Joyful.

 

“Wh-what’s wrong, Jellybean?” she asked with concern. The dragon appeared frozen with fear, unable to move and stiff as a statue. Then, the yell was heard again. This time it was clearer.

 

“Aquariana! Where are you, girl?! Aquariana!” Jellybean let out a terrified, beastly gasp and once again curled up in a fit of fear. She covered her head with her wings and wrapped her tail around her body. Laylee was upset by the timid dragon’s sudden distress. It did not take a strong mind like hers to understand what this meant. She looked towards the exit to the cavern. The afternoon sunlight was peeking through the opening just enough for a ray of light to be visible in the corridor they hid in. A wave of uneasiness overcame the Joyful. Whoever was yelling outside, Jellybean must have known well and feared terribly. Laylee’s signature joy slowly morphed into rage.

 

“Jellybean. Is that-?” she said. The dragon flinched every time the man outside screamed the name Aquariana. Laylee felt her emotional nerves pinch at the sound of it. “Aquariana. What a pathetically unoriginal name,” she scoffed. This was a bad situation. If that pursuer found the cave, there would be no doubt he would search it for Jellybean. She looked back at the Aquarius wyvern’s scarred legs and wings. There was no doubt the poor creature spent a lifetime in chains. The mere thought of her being used for breeding made Laylee sick with agitation. A determination to protect the poor, frightened dragon welled in the joyful dragonman like a thunder cloud ready to burst. She leaned close to the trembling dragon and whispered in a strong, yet reassuring tone. “Don’t worry, my friend. Leave it to me.” She gave Jellybean a gentle pat on the head and walked towards the exit to the cave, making sure not to be too noisy.

 

As she listened to the yelling outside, she noticed something as she crept out of the cavern and into the sunlight. The voice sounded genuinely distressed and worried. There was no sign of anger in his tone. Laylee’s mind assembled a plan at the speed of lightning, and her demeanor changed. Donning a look of worry and concern, she sped out of the cave towards the voice. She felt a jolt of surprise when she realized how close the person was. It was a silver and yellow spotted dragonman man that appeared to be about 40 years old. He wore a headband and fingerless work gloves. His clothing was torn and appeared slightly charred from apparent burns. The dragonman was so focused on his yelling that he did not notice Laylee at first.

 

“Excuse me, sir?” she called to get his attention. The work dressed man turned and showed her a look of desperation. Laylee was not expecting this possible perpetrator to appear so distraught. He did not look like the kind of person to wrongfully imprison and mistreat dragons. It was too late to think too much about it. He spoke to Laylee immediately in a distressed voice.

 

“Oh gods! Please, young lady. You didn’t happen to see an Aquarius wyvern fly by here, did you?” he asked with frantic panting. Laylee had no time to be flabbergasted. Thinking faster than the speed of lightning, she composed herself and pointed southwest.

 

“I actually saw one flying southwest. I assumed it was just heading back to Divine Coast,” she explained. The silver and yellow dragonman’s eyes widened with obvious distress. It appeared he was holding back a scream of terror. For some reason, he was not immediately flying to the southwest like Laylee hoped he would. The man just stood there in a panicked state. He then looked at her with a cold, unsettling stare that housed a core of insanity. His eyes were bloodshot and bulging with out-of-control emotion. “Umm…Sir, are you OK?” she asked cautiously. The man slowly turned his head down and spoke in an unnerving whisper.

 

“She can’t be running away. She loves me.” Laylee felt her nerves twinge at the sound of those words. A newfound worry spread throughout her mind.

 

“Who loves you?” she dared to ask. “And why are you looking for an Aquarius wyvern?” The anxious silver dragonman man looked at her with a wide eyed look that drilled into her mind.

 

“She’s mine,” he replied in a shaky voice. “She’s all mine. I love her. I love all my dragons.” Laylee grew more concerned. Could this guy really be an illegal dragon breeder? If so, he certainly did not seem mentally competent enough to be one.

 

“Are you a trainer? A rancher?” she asked.

 

“I’m a lover!” the man suddenly snapped in an agitated shout. “I’m just a person that loves dragons! I’m a dragon lover! Leave me alone!” The unstable man then enlarged his wings and flew off. However, he did not fly southwest like Laylee thought he would. Quite the opposite. He soared straight north. Though it was not the direction of the cave, Laylee could not help but be curious. Where was this potential maniac going? More importantly, were there more dragons being held captive by him? As these disturbing theories played through her mind, the pink dragonman girl suddenly heard a familiar voice calling her name.

 

“Laylee! Are you here? Laylee!” Her eyes perked wide with excitement. That was Skydan’s voice. Sure enough, when she looked up Skydan and Varoura were flying straight towards her. There was no time to waste. She immediately gave her friends a firm, serious look and pointed towards where the maniac flew off to.

 

“Skydan! Follow the silver and yellow dragonman who went that way!” she ordered. “He’s trouble! Don’t let him leave your sights!” Skydan was once again bewildered. This was the second time today he found someone only to be told to fly off. He could tell his normally happy go-lucky friend was being completely serious, though.

 

“All right!” he replied. “Come on Varoura.” With that, no questions asked, the loyal friends trusted Laylee’s words and soared off to catch up with this mystery dragonman. The pink dragonman girl was confident the mentally unhinged man would never outfly Skydan and Varoura. With the chaos over, Laylee turned back towards where the cave was. As she approached the entrance, though, she noticed something that made her freeze with shock. There were large footprints in the grass leading out of the cave. Footprints of a reptilian creature walking on two legs. There were also scratches on the ground. Possibly from long claws scraping on the earth.

 

“Oh no,” Laylee moaned. She dashed inside the cave for a quick look, and her worst fears were confirmed. Jellybean was gone. “Oh no!” she screamed, her voice echoing in the cavern. The Joyful grabbed her hair and shook her head in panic. “Jellybean!!” Rushing out of the cave faster than she ran in, Laylee followed the footprints out of the cave in a desperate attempt to determine where the frightened sea wyvern fled. “Oh, why did I leave her there all scared? Bad idea! Bad idea!” she mumbled as she stared at the footprints beneath her. Though there were many turns through the trees, rocks, and crystals, it was clear the tracks were headed south. Finally, the footprints ended with two firm, deeper indentations. Laylee instantly knew Jellybean had flown at this point. Without any time to think things through, the Joyful flapped her wings and took to the air. “Hang on, Jellybean! I’ll find you!” she shouted into the afternoon sky. The young dragonman woman was determined to find her new, terrified friend.

 

It didn’t take long for Skydan and Varoura to find and begin tracking the unsettling silver and yellow spotted dragonman. They took note of his filthy, burned, rugged attire as they followed behind him from slightly above.

 

“Looks like a rancher to me,” Varoura said. “But if he is, he’s a dirt poor one.”

 

“I don’t like the looks of him even from this distance,” Skydan remarked. “The word ‘unhinged’ comes to mind.”

 

“Or mentally incompetent, as Laylee might say.” Eventually, the three dragonman exited the brush of purple trees and entered the grassy fields surrounding the woods. They continued to head north. The tiny trees and massive mushrooms of Tranquil Hills were visible on the horizon. Looming beyond that was the towering point of Comonett Mountain. Skydan and Varoura continued following at a safe, undetectable distance. With the cover of the trees gone, they both flew to the left of the maniac’s path. If he turned around now, he would not notice them. “Do you think he’s headed for the mountain, Skydan?” Varoura asked in a whisper.

 

“You know, there are some abandoned farms still standing around this prairie,” he replied. “I bet his base of operations is at one.”

 

“Base of operations? I do NOT like the sound of that,” Varoura muttered.

 

“Neither do I, but like I said. I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Skydan said with a stern expression and tone. The Sky Blue Warrior indeed had a disturbed feeling in his heart. He may not have been clairvoyant like that dreaded rogue Zarkross, but he could practically sense a horrific scene not too far ahead of them.

 

Meanwhile, back at Crystal Forest, Astravolt had returned with reinforcements. A group of dragon tamers that worked at Ruleroar’s zoo. Individuals well trained in handling distressed, dangerous creatures. The group was standing in confusion at the entrance to the cave Laylee and the Aquarius wyvern were. Now they were gone. Astravolt was visibly displeased by this. He paced around and crossed his arms impatiently.

 

“Kid, don’t go letting me down. Show me my judgement is not faulty like Galeos’s-.”

 

“I got something!” one of the trainers exclaimed. Everyone turned and saw the footprints leading out of the cave. “They must have gone this way.” The squad followed the tracks and took to the air, Astravolt leading them.

 

“Say, Master. With all do respect, why didn’t you come to us for help from the start?” another tamer asked. Astravolt was silent for a time, but did not take long to answer.

 

“To be honest, it was mostly out of curiosity,” he replied. The trainers were confused, so the Master of Lightning explained. “Laylee the Joyful is one of the smartest students at the academy, and I’ve been teaching her everything she knows about the lightning element. I want to see what such a joyful, intelligent, yet innocent and jovial young woman can do.” He paused. “I want to see if I taught her well.” Astravolt was curious, but also confident his young female student was capable of handling this precarious situation. Her intelligence combined with her gentle nature was perfect for it. Or so his judgement believed. He hoped his confidence would not let him down. If Laylee were to fail, it would be his fault.

 

Laylee flew for a full ten minutes southwest and found no sign of Jellybean. Flying in the direction the footprints ended proved to be ineffective in finding the lost wyvern. She assumed the dragon would try to fly straight towards the sea, but if she had, she would have caught up with her by now. There was no way a dragon chained up all her life could outfly her. Laylee looked around while hovering in the air. She slowly descended to the ground to calm her body. Her brain started sparking with possible ideas about where the frightened, timid sea wyvern could have gone.

 

“OK, if she’s not going to the sea, where could she be going?” she pondered while pacing back and forth. “Aquarius wyvern’s love water. Specifically seawater. However, Jellybean was raised in captivity, possibly far from the ocean, so she probably does not even know what seawater is.” Her mind chattered relentlessly as she walked around looking at the sky, her finger tapping her chin in the thinking gesture.

“Let’s see…Well, if I loved water like an ocean creature that never experienced the ocean, I would like running water. Stronger than a river like the Elivisa River, though. Although, perhaps, a better, more enjoyable source of scale soaking water would be a shower. A natural shower would be…” Laylee snapped her fingers in a moment of brilliant realization. Her joyful smiled blossomed on her face once again.

 

“A waterfall!” she beamed. “And there should be one slightly East of here. Aquarius wyvern’s have tremendous hearing. Jellybean must have liked the sound of the water flowing.” Confident she figured everything out, Laylee soared off again. This time, she flew straight East to the waterfall she knew of. The closest one in predicted Aquarius wyvern earshot.

 

Skydan and Varoura may not have been the most stealthy dragonman, but they were doing a solid job remaining undetected as they followed the deranged silver and yellow spotted dragonman through Tranquil Hills. They were still unsure just what this guy was. A farmer? An illegal breeder? A mentally ill man who imprisoned dragons? The possibilities frightened them. As they followed the maniac, they passed over several hills that were quickly growing in height. In the distance, they saw one particular hill that had a steep, rocky cliff at one of its edges. It was an unusual sight for a meadow known for its peaceful, grassy landscapes. Suddenly, the mental dragonman rose sharply upward. Skydan and Varoura had to quickly drift to the side to avoid being noticed. When they turned to regain their sights on their target, he was gone.

 

“What the?” Varoura said in confusion. Skydan was completely dumbfounded. The frantic dragonman seemed to just vanish in a matter of seconds. He blinked, looked around, and faced the imposing hill.

 

“Where the hell did he go?” he wondered. Unsure of what else to do, he flew straight towards the cliff. Varoura followed behind him. Everything seemed vacant and devoid of any clues, when the two young dragonman suddenly felt themselves pass by a force of energy. The warm, thick atmosphere sensation caught them completely off guard and they nearly tumbled to the ground. It only lasted for two seconds, but once they were through Skydan immediately attempted to regain his focus and flapped his wings to stay airborne. Varoura struggled beside him, and he flew over to catch her. He grabbed her by the arms and gently lowered her to the ground. Varoura landed on her feet and shook her head to shake off the surprising blow of energy.

 

“Great gods almighty,” she gasped. “What in Lorstar did we just fly through?” The second she finished her sentence, Varoura was pulled to the ground behind a patch of giant mushrooms by Skydan. “Wh-what is it?” she stammered. Skydan brought his finger to his lips and clenched his teeth. Silently, yet frantically telling her to be quiet. He pointed above the giant mushrooms and peeked over them. Varoura did as he wordlessly told her and poked her head up to see what was ahead of them. The lavender dragonman girl nearly gasped in shock at what stood in front of her and Skydan. It was a barn. A worn down, withered barn that appeared abandoned at first glance. On closer observation, it was apparent someone was inhabiting it. There were lights shining in the many windows and a small shack that appeared newly built. Skydan and Varoura were bewildered by the finding. They looked back and saw a distorting aura surrounding the barn.

 

“A force field,” Varoura whispered.

 

“It must be hiding this place,” Skydan reasoned. “Oddly clever for someone appearing so on edge.” The Sky Blue Warrior was admittedly intrigued. However, his interest turned into terror when his exceptional hearing picked up some disturbing sounds coming from the barn. His eyes widened with fear as he turned back towards the hidden wooden structure. Inside the barn he could hear beastly growls, moans, and weak screeches. He knew those iconic noises anywhere. Right away, Skydan knew this withered building was housing at least half a dozen dragons. He looked at Varoura, and she appeared equally disturbed.

 

“Do you hear that, Skydan?” she asked in a disturbed whisper. He simply nodded. It did not take an expert to know from the tones of the growls and screeches that the dragons inside were in some kind of distress. The two young dragonman shuddered at the thought of what they would find inside. Before they could ponder the worst, the door to the newly built shack opened. Skydan and Varoura quickly ducked behind the massive mushrooms. They kept their breathing quiet as they listened closely to what was transpiring. In a flash, they saw the manic silver dragonman fly over them. Freezing in place, they remained unnoticed. Their target flew past them and disappeared behind the distorting force field that concealed the farm.

 

“Looks like we’re in the clear,” Skydan said. He and Varoura stood up and faced the withered, unkept barn. It was quite large. Fully capable of imprisoning a dozen moderate sized dragons in a cramped space. The couple felt their hearts grow cold with unsettling thoughts of what was inside. They knew they must go inside, though. It was imperative to know where the Aquarius wyvern came from and if mistreatment was taking place.

 

“Well, I’m ready if you’re ready, Skydan,” Varoura said in a nervous, shaky voice. She fidgeted with her light blue claws and her shoulders shook. Skydan was equally anxious. He could feel his heart racing like a mouse scurrying across a field of crops. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he gave a determined expression and nodded.

 

“All right. Let’s go in.” With that, he and Varoura made their way to the barn. As they got closer, something more disturbing than the distressed, beastly noises became apparent. Varoura held her nose and gasped.

 

“Ugh! What is that horrible smell?” she cried. Skydan felt his nose burn and tense up from the pungent stench emanating from the barn. He took a few breaths from his mouth to recover from the horrid smell.

 

“Gods. I don’t know, but it’s nothing I never smelled before, and I’ve smelled rotting flesh before,” he said.

 

“It’s not rotten. Just foul,” Varoura pointed out. She dared to take a small whiff, and confirmed this disgusting stench was not the unforgettable smell of death and decay. As they arrived at the barn’s large, partially cracked front doors, the two dragonman looked through them. Lights shining inside made everything clear as day.

 

What Skydan and Varoura saw was an indescribable mess of horror. Seven dragons lay moaning and growling in apparent distress on piles of dirty, tangled hay. To their horror, the beasts were chained to the walls by their legs and wings. They made no attempts to break free. The dragons were too weak either physically or mentally. Skydan and Varoura looked at the mistreated creatures with wide, shocked stares. Slowly, the two of them walked deeper into the barn. Glancing to the sides, getting closer looks, the dragons did not appear to be skinny or starved. They were not acting like they were well fed, though. It was clear the creatures had low, unhealthy stamina. Large tubs in front of their fenced in pens must have been used to feed them. Surprisingly, the metal pans smelled unusually sweet and pleasant. It almost diluted the foul stench infesting the barn. However, the sights of the prison were more than enough to fill Skydan and Varoura with horror and disdain.

 

“I can’t believe this,” Varoura sighed, shaking her head, and bringing her fist to her heart. “This is absolutely inexcusable.”

 

“What the kludd is he feeding these dragons?” Skydan exclaimed in a slight fit of rage. He leaned in closer to one of the pans and smelled it. “These pans smell like nothing but sugar. Not even fruit. What deteriorating junk food are these dragons being kept on?” By now, the Sky Blue Warrior was becoming angry. Imprisonment like this was one thing, but failing to provide the dragons with proper nutrition was a new low of abuse.

 

“I am utterly insulted by all this,” Varoura snapped, showing a hint of rage herself. She looked to her right and saw a severely undersized meteor amphiptere. The winged serpent was lying on its side panting heavily. Its fiery shooting star wing markings were dull and muted rather than vibrant and colorful. Varoura flinched at the creature’s suffering. “Horrible,” she sighed.

 

“How could a person do something so careless? Especially a dragonman?” Skydan pondered. Then, the couple saw a few empty stalls at the edge of the barn. Three had no chains, while one did. In that pen was a large hole in the wall large enough for a small wyvern to crawl through. Skydan and Varoura immediately knew what dragon was chained in this filthy prison cell.

 

“Aha!” Skydan exclaimed. “This must be where the dragon Laylee found escaped.”

 

“Obviously,” Varoura said. “I’m surprised it found the strength and willpower to break free. All these dragons appear completely broken and incapable of fighting.” She looked around, the dragons continuing to cry out like weak, fragile children.

 

“The dragon must have found a sudden burst of emotional power to escape. The question is, what?” Skydan wondered. He looked around, stepping away from the escaped dragon’s pen. Looking towards the very back of the barn, he saw something that caught his eye.

 

The Sky Blue Warrior backed away and nearly screamed out loud. He covered his mouth before a bellow of terror could escape it. His eyes widened and were filled with dread. Varoura saw his reaction and looked towards where he was looking. The Lovely trembled with overwhelming shock, and she screamed loud enough to be heard beyond the illusion force field. What the couple saw was so dreadful they hoped they would never see such a thing in person.

 

“I…I’ve heard of this before on TV….b-but…” Skydan stammered.

 

“Oh gods. I think I’m gonna be sick,” Varoura groaned.

 

“There’s no time to be sick, love,” Skydan said, trying to regain his composure and reignite his rage. “We have to tell Astravolt right now! This is even worse than we thought!”

 

While all these events were occurring, Raveesha and Zondike frantically searched for Skydan and Varoura with no luck. The couple was too fast for them, and they quickly lost their trail. Now searching through a random area of Crystal Forest, Raveesha was growing more frustrated. She kicked at a small patch of crystals and shattered them to pieces.

 

“Dammit! Speedy son of a stitch could’ve slowed down for us!” she snapped. “Now what’ll we do?”

 

“All we can do is keep looking,” Zondike replied with a casual shrug.

 

“Why’re you so mellow, sombrero boy? We lost Skydan, we can’t find our little pink smarty pants princess, and we have no idea where they are. How can you not be the least bit ticked off, red buff?” Raveesha’s tone was as sassy as ever, and Zondike couldn’t help but be amused by it. He lifted his hands behind his head and rested his neck backward, looking up at the purple leaves of the forest trees.

 

“I trust my amigos,” he replied simply. “I have no doubt they can handle whatever this scenario might be.”

 

“It’s not that I’m ticked off about,” Raveesha snapped. “I’m mad about being left out of it. I swear when I get my claws on Skydan-.”

 

“We’ll meet up with him soon,” Zondike reassured her. “We just have to find him, Laylee, or Master Astravolt.” As if responding to his mention, a crowd of fliers suddenly swooped past him and Raveesha at tremendous speed. It was only for a split second, but the two friends recognized the pale yellow and grey lightning striped dragonman in front.

 

“Master Astravolt!” the duo shouted in unison. Quickly, Zondike and Raveesha enlarged their wings and took off after the master and the other people following him.

 

“Wait up! Wait up, dammit!” Raveesha bellowed. Astravolt suddenly made a sharp turn and flew towards her and Zondike. The two friends stopped and hovered in place as the Master of Lightning flew beside them and hovered as well.

 

“Finally, reinforcements. All right Wildfire and Fierce One. Follow us,” he said. Without saying another word, Astravolt flew off again with the dragon trainers trailing behind.

 

“Wait, what?! But…You…We just…UGH! Wait for us!!” Raveesha grumbled, annoyed to be met with another incident of following with little context. Zondike chuckled as they followed behind the group.

 

“This feels like déjà vu. It’s kind of amusing,” he said.

 

“Dragpits! It’s annoying! Damn, kludding, annoying!” Raveesha cursed, her bellows echoing through the forest. Though she sounded angry, in truth she was glad she and Zondike were finally involved in the action. She couldn’t wait to find out what the fuss was all about. As if reading her mind, Astravolt called back to them.

 

“You kids deserve to know what’s going on. “I’ll explain everything as we fly.”

 

“Finally!” Raveesha exclaimed. “It’s about time. Tell us everything, Master.” Zondike clenched his teeth and gave an uneasy stare.

 

“You could’ve said please to a master, Veev,” he thought. They were about to learn of the events their friends had been thrust into. The least the Fierce One could do was be a little more polite. Well, at least their involvement was improving.

 

Following the Elivisa River, Laylee searched for the waterfall she predicted Jellybean was at. She hoped her theory was correct and the timid female wyvern had fled to the nearest source of powerful rushing water. Was an Aquarius wyvern’s hearing strong enough to pick up the sounds from so far away, though?

 

“Oh, please let me be right,” Laylee whispered as she flew through the air. “Please, please, please let me be right.” The waterfall she knew of was very close now. She could see the hills and trees surrounding it in the distance. The small waterfall was supplied by a spring atop a series of hills. It filled up with every rainfall. “Considering the recent rainfall, the waterfall must currently be quite powerful. If my theory is correct, Jellybean will…” She paused, unsuccessful in reassuring herself. Bitter thoughts of her mother berating her about her incompetence pricked at her mind. Doubts of her judgement began to creep over her like a shadow. “No! No!” Laylee exclaimed, trying to regain her confidence. “Mom is wrong! I am not worthless!” She sped up her flight and approached the grove of trees concealing the hills where the waterfall flowed. Its sounds finally met her ears.

 

Laylee could feel her heartbeat as she flew deeper into the grove. She slowed down and descended to the ground, deciding to continue on foot. With her tail wagging with anticipation, she ran towards the rushing water. Finally, she arrived at the clearing with the small but impressive waterfall. Laylee gasped in surprise and joy. She felt her heartbeat change from frantic nervous pounding to musical rhythms of excitement. A smile blossomed on her face. There, standing under the flow of the waterfall, was Jellybean. The Aquarius wyvern was being thoroughly soaked by the falls. She swayed her body under the rushing water and made several playful splashes. Laylee was so touched to see the timid wyvern having so much fun. The pink dragonman could barely contain her joy.

 

“Jellybean!” she exclaimed. Without hesitation, she ran towards the waterfall to reunite with her new friend. Jellybean heard the shout and looked up to see Laylee running towards her. The Joyful stopped beside the pond’s edge and jumped with excitement. “Oh, Jellybean! I was so worried about you! I’m so happy you’re ok!” The wyvern simply stared at her with a slightly open jaw. Then, she went back to her playful splashing. Laylee calmed down and stopped her joyful hopping. Relieved her dragon friend was all right, she sat down by the edge of the pond and watched the creature play in the waterfall. Her task was complete. Now all she had to do was wait for Astravolt and her friends to find her. She had faith they would figure it out quickly.

 

            Flying south towards the peaceful shores of Divine Coast, the eldest and most mature of the Skyhoods was feeling a bitter chill of annoyance. Though Kayo kept his composure as usual, he felt disappointed with himself for not taking affirmative action quickly enough to keep up with his younger friends.

 

            “What a pain. I should’ve been firmer with myself. Now they’re all off on a wild quest by themselves. I have to find them before they get themselves into trouble.” The protective ice elemental mentally slapped himself for not being diligent enough to follow his enthusiastic friends. Raveesha and Zondike left his sight and sense of direction in a matter of seconds after flying off. He wasn’t able to hear where Astravolt instructed Skydan to go. Kayo felt responsible for his friends. It was shameful to lose track of them.

 

            Finally, arriving at Divine Coast, he slowed his flight and landed on the soft, wet sand of the beach. The Frozen stared at the waves flowing on the shore. The sounds of the ocean were soothing, but his thoughts still focused on his friends.

 

            “Why did I come here?” he wondered to himself. “Was I led here or something? Why?” It was true. He could have gone anywhere to search for his friends. Why did he decide to go to Divine Coast of all places? To his surprise, his question would soon be answered with the arrival of a new person on the beach. He heard the familiar sounds of dragonman wings flying through the air and turned to see someone soaring over him. It was a dragonman man with silver and yellow spotted scales and filthy work clothes. His disheveled, unstable behavior immediately caught Kayo’s attention. Then, he overheard the man mumbling as he passed by.

 

            “If that pink prissy stitch was lying, I’ll kill her.” Kayo felt his icy blood run even colder. He kept his eyes on the manic looking dragonman to see what he was up to. The second the man landed he pulled out a thin, golden, curved object. It looked like a horn of some sort. It was hard to tell from the distance, but Kayo could swear the end of the item looked like the head of a dragon. Then, the man placed his lips on the thin end and blew. A deep, ominous range of sounds played like a crudely crafted song. For some reason, the instrument’s playing made Kayo’s head bristle like his nerves were spazzing. He held his head in confusion, trying desperately to keep his focus on the man. It became clear what the musical instrument was.

 

            “A dragon flute,” he thought. Dragon flutes were forbidden throughout nearly the entire continent of Eurica. Not just the country of Vorika. They were extremely dangerous items that manipulated the minds of dragons in inhumane ways. The songs played by the flutes were so strong they could even disorient dragonman. Kayo realized the player did not seem to be in any kind of distress. “Impossible. Why isn’t his head going mad like mine?” Kayo wondered. Suddenly, the silver and yellow dragonman stopped playing, and a look of frightening rage wrapped his manic face. With his mind cleared, Kayo refocused on him, and heard something that nearly made him lose his composure.

 

            “First I find Aquariana, then I find and punish that pink girl for lying to me.” Before Kayo could react to what he heard, the maniac flew off, leaving Divine Coast and going back north where he came from. The Frozen immediately knew exactly who the ‘pink girl’ the madman was referring to was. It was Laylee. With no hesitation, the brave, protective, solidly calm ice dragonman flew after the dangerous man, intent on protecting his young, innocent friend.

 

            Laylee watched in sheer adoration as the Aquarius wyvern she affectionately named Jellybean vigorously splashed in the flow of the waterfall. She sat down with her hands cupping her cheeks as a smile blossomed across her face. Was it weird to view this creature, who was meant to be ferocious and aggressive, as cute? Probably not. After all, Jellybean was clearly never given a normal life for a wyvern. She was never given the privilege to be ferocious and aggressive like she should be. It was sad, but at the same time Laylee couldn’t help but feel a little happy she had befriended a dragon. She looked up at the sky, wondering where her friends and Astravolt were.

 

            “Oh, dearie me. I hope they arrive soon,” she said as she fidgeted a bit. Suddenly, a strange sound coming from behind her caused her to reel in reaction to an intense buzzing in her head. Laylee tumbled on her side and held her ears as she writhed in distress from the unexpected blast of mind shaking sound. After calming down from the surprise, she realized the noise, which sounded like some kind of flute, was coming from far away towards the west. “What in all of Lorstar was that?” she cried. She looked over at Jellybean and was disturbed by what she saw. The Aquarius wyvern had stopped her playful splashing and was now standing completely still under the flowing waterfall. Then, the horrible sound played again, and the dragon flapped her wings and flew over Laylee. “Wha-?! Jellybean?!” she shouted in distress. Jellybean did not even seem to hear her. The wyvern simply flew over her and towards the horrid noise as if she was in a trance. Laylee’s mouth hung open in shock and dismay. “Jellybean! No!” she cried. Without a second thought, the brave pink dragonman flew off to follow her new friend wherever she was being led to. All the while fighting against the constant bristling in her head.

 

            Astravolt flew with his small army of dragon tamers through the grasslands of central Vorika. He had a strong feeling where his young student Laylee had gone. The dragon tamers followed him without question. Doubting a master rarely occurred. They believed his faith in his pupil was legit and well deserved. As they flew through the air following the path of the river, they could hear the rushing sound of a waterfall approaching. Suddenly, the brain rattling noise that tormented Laylee reached their ears. All the dragonman stumbled in flight while the zephyrman and gargoyans watched in confusion and distress. To everyone’s shock, even Astravolt was badly affected by the sound. His speed dropped and he zigzagged through the air out of control.

 

            “Master!” the zephyrman dragon tamer shouted. Astravolt did a horizontal spin and regained his stability. Then, he flew straight towards the noise.

 

            “Wha-? Master! What are you-?!” another tamer shouted.

 

            “Follow me!” the Master of Lightning exclaimed. A bitter, agitated expression spread across his face. “There’s no mistaking it,” he grumbled. “That despicable noise is a dragon flute.” The brainwashing sound of a dragon flute can only mean trouble. Not just any trouble, but criminal trouble. Any person who used such a devious device was up to no good. Astravolt could sense in his heart whoever was playing it had something to do with the distressed Aquarius wyvern he found. He could only hope Laylee and the dragon were all right.

 

            Laylee desperately chased after Jellybean as she flew off in an apparent trance. She screamed at her to try to snap her out of the hypnosis, but it was no use.

 

            “Jellybean! Snap out of it! Jellybean! Jellybean!!” All her attempts to break the spell of the dragon flute were futile. The only thing she could do was follow her and protect her from whoever was luring her away. After several minutes of screaming and flying, she finally caught a glimpse of someone in the distance standing on a hill. It was the silver and yellow maniacal dragonman from before. Sure enough, he was playing a dragon flute. Under the spell of the evil instrument, Jellybean slowly descended from her flight, gliding towards the madman. He looked up and saw his pet approaching him submissively, and for the first time Laylee saw the horrifying dragonman smile.

 

            “Good girl,” he cooed in a disgusting, almost perverted tone. Jellybean was about to land in front of him when something unexpected happened. In a flash, Kayo dove from the air and tackled the flute player to the ground, pinning him down. The madman screamed and flailed under the Frozen’s pin, dropping the dragon flute.

 

            “Kayo!” Laylee bellowed in apparent joy upon seeing her brotherly friend. Kayo, still as composed as ever, held the thrashing maniac by the back of his neck and sat on his back like a wrestler. His legs lay on top of the villain’s wings and his forearm pushed on his back.

 

            “Get off of me!!” the insane dragonman yelled in an almost demonic scream.

 

            “Not on your life, outlaw,” Kayo said in a calm tone.

 

            “Kayo! Kayo!” Laylee cheered. Slowly, as she and Jellybean finally landed, the Aquarius wyvern seemed to regain her senses. The dragon’s lavender eyes regained their shine and looked around as if confused how she got to this spot. She then saw the maniac Kayo was restraining. Upon seeing the mentally imbalanced dragonman, the wyvern made a terrified screech and ran towards Laylee. The beast that was meant to be ferocious and fearless fled behind the pink dragonman and curled up behind her, trembling like a terrified child. Laylee stared at the poor, unfortunate, emotionally scarred dragon.

 

            “Don’t worry, Jellybean,” she said as she gently rubbed Jellybean’s snout. “I won’t let him hurt you.”

 

            “Jellybean?!” the maniacal dragonman suddenly bellowed. “For your information, you dirty liar, her name is Aquariana! And she belongs to me!” Jellybean’s shaking grew worse, and she curled her body up tighter as the man screamed. Laylee could feel her companion dragon’s growing distress. Wanting to protect her and her future clutch of eggs, the Joyful summoned her strength to face the subdued maniac with a look of rage and a firm, strong stance. Kayo was impressed that his usually joyful and carefree friend had transformed herself into a warrior.

 

            “Jellybean does not belong to you! I can tell from my examinations that you have severely mistreated this creature of unfathomable ferocity,” she stated. To her shock, the maniac let out a scream that was higher pitched and animalistic. Even Kayo nearly lost his composure. This dragonman man was behaving and sounding like an animal.

 

            “Shut up! Shut up!” he bellowed as he continued to thrash under Kayo’s grip. “Your words are hurting my brain! Give me back my beloved! NOW!” Laylee couldn’t help but give a small smile. She assumed the delusional man found her intelligent words a pain for his less educated mind to listen to. Wanting to punish him for his misdeeds, she decided to go further with her vocabulary.

 

            “Your reprehensible misdeeds against this psychologically damaged dragon will not go unpunished. For your inhumane attempts to market unborn fetuses for black market profit, you shall pay grievously.” Laylee admitted it was fun showing off her knowledge of impressive words. The villain seemed to flinch with every hint of high intelligence she displayed. Kayo was able to keep him pinned, but Laylee failed to notice he was struggling now.

 

            Suddenly, another voice called out from nearby. Laylee and Kayo turned to see Skydan and Varoura flying towards them. The couple appeared to be in great distress from the looks on their faces.

 

            “Laylee! Kayo!” Skydan exclaimed as he landed with Varoura.

 

            “Skydan! Don’t look so worried! We got him!” Laylee cheered with a friendly wave. “The worry is over. This illegal breeder will go to prison for a long time for mistreating this innocent Aquarius wyvern.” She turned to Jellybean, who was still cowering behind her. “This dragon’s unborn offspring will be safe once they hatch. They won’t be auctioned off to selfish traders who see dragons as nothing but-.”

 

            “They never would have hatched to begin with,” Skydan interrupted. His face was still pale and full of fright as if he witnessed something truly horrible. Both Laylee and Kayo gave him confused expressions.

 

            “What do you mean, Skydan?” Kayo asked.

 

            “We followed this maniac to his barn,” Varoura explained.

 

            “You did what?!” the villain cried, thrashing even harder as Kayo slammed his head hard on the ground.

 

            “Yes. There were half a dozen dragons being held captive there. All chained and scraped up,” Skydan said. “It was also clear they were being fed something not part of their true diet. Something unnaturally sweet.”  

 

            “Sweet?” Laylee said. “Dragons should never eat sweets. They’re primarily meat and plant eaters.” She then remembered how Jellybean heartily gobbled up her jelly doughnut. A disturbed thought that the imprisoned dragons were fed nothing but fats and sweets ran through her mind. She turned and gave the restrained villain a rageful glare. “What did you do you fiendish foe?” she snarled. “If you weren’t selling baby dragons on the black market, then what were you doing?”

 

            “Worse,” Varoura shuddered. Laylee lost her confident rage and her angry expression faded into one of shock. Even Kayo was visibly surprised. What could possibly be worse than illegally breeding dragons in deplorable conditions? Well, Skydan was about to tell them.

 

            “In the back of the barn we saw it,” Skydan said, visibly holding back the urge to gag. “Some kind of vintage oven with various utensils. And…” He paused, closing his eyes and gnashing his teeth in disgust. “Eggshells!” he cried. Laylee and Kayo both gasped in shock. It simply could not be, but it got worse. “The whole area reeked of burnt death. Everything was all slimy. But worst of all…” he paused again and shook his head as if horrified by the thoughts of what he witnessed. “There was a burned undeveloped fetus of a dragon lying in the corner. It must have been overcooked.”

 

            Laylee’s body and heart shuddered with such a strong disturbance she nearly fainted. All her confidence withered away like a dying flower in cold autumn weather. Only once did she ever hear of the barbaric act of dragon egg eating. The most deranged and cruel individuals believed it promoted supreme health and longevity. This was completely untrue, of course. It was merely something coldhearted poachers with an unquenchable thirst for bloodlust and money made up to gain supporters and customers. Laylee turned to the heinous maniac, who had suddenly become eerily calm. The silver and yellow dragonman had stopped struggling and had his head turned down, hiding his expression. Laylee and her friends were unsettled by this sudden change in behavior. They all leaned forward cautiously.

 

            “You…you’ve been eating unborn dragons from their eggs??” Laylee muttered. The maniac said nothing. He just lay motionless beneath Kayo. The Frozen showed deep agitation on his normally composed face.

 

            “That is the most despicable, senseless, callous-.” Before Kayo could finish his sentence, a blast of electric energy burst from beneath him. The egg eater had unleashed an outburst of yellow lightning. Kayo was instantly knocked off his back and Laylee, Skydan, and Varoura were blown back by the shockwave. Jellybean let out a loud, terrified shriek and leaped backward. When the blast ceased, the lunatic dragonman was on his feet, fists clenched, breathing like a beast, and face warped into a furious, maddening scowl. He appeared to be on the brink of a mental explosion.

 

            “He’s…he’s a madman!” Varoura cried. Laylee felt her courage begin to fade as she stared at the deranged maniac. His bloodshot eyes sent shivers down her spine.

 

            “You lying stitch,” the fiendish dragonman snarled at her. “Give me back my love.” Hearing him refer to Jellybean as his love, Laylee’s rage returned, and she took a stronger stance. Facing the villain with a brave expression, she refused to be afraid.

 

            “Your love?! What kind of lunatic are you?! Do you honestly think consuming a dragon’s unborn children is an act of love?!”

 

            “YES!!” the insane dragonman’s shout echoed through the entire meadow. Before the friends could process the tremendous shock from his answer, the villain rushed towards Laylee with his claws charging with lightning. She tried to move, but his shout caused her to freeze in shock.

 

            “Laylee! Move! Laylee!” Skydan shouted desperately as the egg eater charged at her. The three Skyhoods desperately lunged at him to protect Laylee, when an electrical explosion blew them all backward. This lightning was not yellow like their enemy’s, though. It was light blue. Everyone regained their composure and saw the maniac was blasted away. Laylee stood in a battle stance right where he was seconds before. Behind her, unbelievably, Jellybean uncurled her body and displayed a classic wyvern warning pose. The timid Aquarius wyvern seemed to find her ferocity at the best possible time. Laylee looked at her dragon companion with a smile of pride. She knew Jellybean had attacked along with her. The wyvern wanted to protect her, too. Feeling reassured by the dragon’s newfound willpower and courage, Laylee faced her opponent, ready to fight.

 

            “Jellybean doesn’t want to go back to you, you son of a stitch. Leave her alone and face your consequences like a man!” The egg eater’s rage reignited even more intensely. The Skyhoods were visibly startled by his insanity.

 

            “You could never understand our love!!” the madman shrieked. “I love all my dragons and they love me! I consume their most precious creations so a part of them can live on inside my body forever! Their essence runs through my veins like blood! I am one with them! I am a true dragon morpher!!” The Skyhoods were in utter disbelief by this maniac’s insane statements. The term ‘dragon morpher’ echoed in their minds like a constant buzzing of an insect swarm.

 

            “Whoa. He really is insane,” Skydan said, holding his ground. “Anyone who calls themselves a dragon morpher deserves to be locked in an asylum.” Dragon morphers were a kind of dragonman that believed they were true blooded dragons trapped in a dragonman’s body. These people often made ludicrous criminal attempts to break free from their humanoid body and unleash their supposed true form. None of the Skyhoods had heard of this mental illness spawning a desire of eating dragon eggs.

 

            “I don’t care what your deluded mind believes you are!” Laylee shouted. Jellybean, though still shaking slightly, bravely faced her captor with spread wings and bared fangs. The Aquarius wyvern snarled a beastly growl that expressed its courage to stand up for itself and Laylee.

“You’ll never take me alive,” the dragon morpher stated.

 

            “Be real, you mental nutjob,” Skydan said. “There’s four of us and one of you. You don’t stand a chance.” The maniac was silent, but then looked down towards something on the ground. It was the dragon flute, still fully intact.

 

            “The flute!!” Varoura yelled. In an instant, everyone made a dive for the insidious instrument. Everyone except Laylee. She knew what to do. In a flash, she unleashed a stream of blue lightning from her palm aiming straight for the flute. Instead of blasting it to bits, though, something else happened. In an exceptionally impressive display of elemental control, Laylee summoned a magnetic force to draw the metal flute towards her. The dragon morpher fell to the ground right where the flute was seconds before. He looked up, shocked and mortified to see Laylee clutching his inhumane tool. The Joyful snickered a victorious grin.

 

            “Your delusional body perturbation shall no longer eradicate unblemished dragon fetuses!” she declared. With that, she grabbed both ends of the instrument and with a strike to her leg, split the vile flute in two like a twig.

 

            “NOOOOO!” the dragon morpher cried.

 

            “Halt, criminal! You’re under arrest!” A thundering, powerful suddenly echoed through the sky. Everyone looked up and stared in awe as Astravolt and his small army of dragon tamers swooped down and tackled the maniac. Two subdued the villain with energy cuffs while three others landed beside Jellybean. The experts held their hands to their sides and lowered their stances to appear shorter and less intimidating. Jellybean stared at them in confusion, then looked at Laylee. The pink dragonman gave the Aquarius wyvern a reassuring nod and smile.

 

            “It’s ok. They won’t hurt you,” she said in a calm voice. Comforted by her savior, the wyvern gently lowered her head and allowed the dragon tamers to evaluate her condition.

 

            “She seems unhurt for the most part, but she’s three months gravid,” one of them said after half a minute of examinations. “We’ll gently transport her to the zoo so we can properly care for her. She’ll finally have some nutritional food.”

 

            “Yummy! Fish,” Laylee cheered with a playful smile. “You’re going to love it, Jellybean. You’ll feel nice and healthy after eating that.” The dragon tamers looked at each other in slight confoundment.

 

            “She named it Jellybean?” one whispered to another. Skydan, Varoura, and Kayo finally arrived at Laylee’s side, proud of their joyful and intelligent friend for what she had done.

 

            “Awesome job, Laylee!” Varoura cheered.

 

            “Yeah! You showed that mentally deranged creep how to handle a dragon!” Skydan exclaimed. Kayo simply gave a nod and thumbs up of approval. Laylee felt her pink face light up with a hint of deep red. She was so flattered by her friends’ praise. Suddenly, the voice of another one of her friends bellowed from above.

 

            “Finally!! Up here, magenta brain!” It was Raveesha’s voice. The friends looked up and saw her and Zondike descending in front of them. The second their feet touched the ground, Zondike spoke in an exuberant, jolly tone.

 

            “Muy Bien, Laylee! That was magnifico! You saved the dragon!” Laylee shyly put her hands behind her back and gave a modest giggle.

 

            “Well, I did my best. I just wanted to help Jellybean,” she said.

 

            “Jellybean? Seriously?” Raveesha pouted with her arms crossed. “Did you have to give the poor damn creature such a lame name? Hasn’t it been through enough already.”

 

            “You guys don’t even know what it and the other dragons have been through,” Skydan said in a firm tone. The dragon tamers and Astravolt suddenly turned to him with looks of concern.

 

            “There are more?” Astravolt asked.

 

            “Yeah. About six or eight of them,” Skydan replied. “I can show you where the farm is. We need to get those dragons unchained.”

 

            “We’re right behind you, Sky Blue Warrior,” one of the tamers said. With Skydan leading them, two tamers followed him to the dragon morpher’s hideout to rescue the other captives. Laylee was relieved Jellybean was not the only innocent creature that would be saved. She stared as Skydan flew away, when Astravolt approached her. The mighty, imposing warrior cast a shadow over her. Laylee looked up at him with a smile, waiting nervously for her approval. Her friends were full of anticipation. The Master of Lightning stared at her with his dark purple eyes. His expression was blank with no emotion. Laylee felt her heartbeat quicken, wondering what her teacher would say about her actions.

 

            Finally, with all her friends watching, the Master of Lightning gently patted Laylee’s head and smiled.

 

            “Well done, Joyful. I knew one of my smartest, most gentle students could handle this. Thank you for reassuring me that my teachings have done a lot to help you grow.” Laylee fought back the urge to cry tears of joy. It was not every day a citizen is praised by a Master. It was a tremendous honor. Filled with joy for their friend, the Skyhoods clapped their hands. Even Raveesha and Kayo were visibly pleased by their friend’s accomplishment.

 

            “Not bad, pink princess. Not bad,” Raveesha said with a slight grin.

 

            “Lo sabia! I knew you could do it, amigo,” Zondike cheered. Laylee smiled as she looked around at her friends. Praise from the Master of Lightning was one thing, but nothing made her happier than her dear best friends’ recognition. It was moments like this she forgot her mother’s ferocious criticism, yelling, and mistreatment. Laylee may not have been perfect, but at least her friends liked her. That was all she needed to be happy.

 

            About a week later, the dragon morpher was arrested for her crimes and the dragons he held captive were brought to the protection of Vorika’s creature caretakers. It was ultimately decided that the horribly mistreated dragons, which, as it turns out, were all gravid as well, needed a place more ideal than an ordinary rescue zoo to live. The creature caretakers and dragon tamers unanimously decided the dragons should be taken to the paradise land known as the Dragon Sanctuary. A very special place on the large island of Nazaldia meant to care for dragons raised unwell in captivity. It was the healthiest, safest place for all dragons mistreated by people and unable to survive in the wild.

 

            Eight days after the ordeal, the Skyhoods headed to the Rubycliff harbor to bid farewell to the dragon Laylee had so affectionately named Jellybean. Dragon tamers from Nazaldia had arrived with a ship to transport the rescued dragons. An invisible forcefield kept them from flying away. The only one left to board was Jellybean. Laylee and the Skyhoods were standing at the dock talking with the lead trainer.

 

            “Please take the absolute best care of Jellybean,” Laylee said with a smile. “I am so glad she is going to Sanctuary. She’ll be so happy there!”

 

            “We’ll take good care of her, Joyful,” the lead tamer said in a heavy outback accent. The accent of citizens of the massive islands of Zaland. “You were the one who saved this Aquarius wyvern. I give you my word, she will be protected and tended to by the absolute best. As well as her hatchlings to be.”

 

            “That’s wonderful,” Varoura said, giving Skydan a hug around his arm.

 

            “We’ll have to go to Nazaldia for vacation one day. I’d love to visit the sanctuary,” Skydan said.

 

            “Maybe someday,” Kayo sighed with his arms crossed. “Maybe someday.” Laylee sighed as well and took a step forward.

 

            “Before you go, I’d like to say one last goodbye to Jellybean,” she requested.

 

            “Of course, lass,” the lead tamer said in a kind voice. “I am sure she would love to see you before we sail off.” Laylee nodded and flew up to the edge of the dock where Jellybean was about to be led to the top of the ship where the other dragons rested. The timid wyvern had energy rings around her wings, painlessly restricting her flying to a controllable degree. A soft, moist collar around her neck packed with ice kept her body calm and cool. The dragon saw Laylee approaching and opened its mouth as if it were smiling. The pink dragonman gave her beastly companion a happy smile.

 

            “You’re going to be so happy and the sanctuary, Jellybean. You’ll eat good, healthy foods, get to swim in the ocean, play with other dragons, and make new friends.” Her kind, energetic tone seemed to reassure the wyvern even more. The dragon simply looked at her as she gave a small wave and nod. “Don’t worry, Jellybean. We’ll see each other again someday. For now, just be happy living in your new home.” Jellybean still did not make a sound, but appeared content with the sound of her voice. Finally, Laylee backed away and enlarged her wings to prepare to fly off. “Bye-bye, Jellybean. Good luck!” she called. With that, the Joyful flew back to her friends as a gravity crystal powered magnet gently lifted the Aquarius wyvern onto the ship.

 

            Laylee took one look back at her, not feeling the least bit sad that they were parting ways. She knew Jellybean would be happy at her new home, and that was all she needed. As her friends called and waved at her, the Joyful felt a wave of content come over her. This was her adventure, and it was an amazing success. She saved a group of dragons from cruel captivity, helped imprison a madman, and made a new creature companion.

 

            If only her mother would be impressed, but knowing her, nothing she did would ever please her. That did not matter, though. She had best friends who gave her all the love and care anyone could need. Life was good.

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