The ground was dirty and filled with bugs crawling across. But, it was still better than sleeping in the cramped wagon where Ronish, Deanna, and Renada slept. Taylen fell asleep with his head resting on the tree trunk where the horses were tied. Doryu was the only one awake. He laid uncomfortably on his blanket for a while before deciding to take a stroll through the forest, but not before grabbing a dagger from the wagon. Little fireflies flicked their lights in the distance and any creature who could hear his footsteps dashed away.

He came across a clearing where the moonlight gleamed on wet grass. No trees were in the space, but surrounded it. Doryu examined a tree with large claw marks on it. That's weird. Too big to be a bear. A screech came from behind him. With a slight jump, Doryu spun around and saw the same barn owl that was on the fence post.

"Oh, it's just you," he said with a sigh. The owl ruffled its feathers blinked its eyes. "I don't suppose you did these claw marks?" He pointed to the tree with his dagger. He walked to the tree again and examined the marks once again.

You suspect a tiny creature to make marks that deep? Foolish boy. Doryu spun around in fear. It was the same old, raspy voice from Narris.

"Who's there?!" he called out as he gripped tighter to his dagger.

Who do you think? Who's the only one around here who hasn't been frightened by your loud steps or screaming? Then it dawned on him.

"You?" he said as he stared at the barn owl. "But, how can you talk to me?"

A certain breed of humans have the ability to communicate with all creatures. My master sent me to find someone who could possess the ability and then I found you. The owl preened his feathers before flying down to a lower branch. Doryu cautiously walked closer to the talking creature.

"What do you mean by certain breed of humans? And how can you talk to me if your mouth doesn't speak?"

Ever heard of telepathy or mind-syncing? I am able to communicate with your breed by talking through the mind. Doryu stared blankly at the owl as his dagger hung loosely in his hand. By breed of humans, I'll tell you later. My names Lorcan, by the way.

"When will you tell me what you meant by 'breed'?" Lorcan cooed quietly and unfolded his wings.

I'll tell you once you return from your travels. When you return, come back here when the moon is the highest. Jumping off the branch, Lorcan screeched as he flew away from the clearing. Doryu watched the owl disappear over the tree branches then began to slowly make his way back to his family. Was I able to communicate with creatures this entire time? Maybe that's why Clement calmed down so easily once he laid eyes on me. He came across a little stream where the water glistened in the moonlight. A small, orange fox drank from the water but froze once he saw Doryu. Maybe I can try to talk with him.

"Hello," he said quietly. The fox's ears perked towards Doryu and twitched his nose, but he quickly turned away and vanished into the shadows. "Maybe practicing helps? Maybe Lorcan was able to easily talk with me because he's done it before. These woodland creatures barely see human life and probably never had the opportunity to talk with them." He continued his way back to camp.

When he arrived, he calmed the horses before laying back on his blanket and slowly drifting off to sleep with the same nightmare from the nights before.

In the morning, Ronish caught fish and cooked them over a small fire. The family quickly ate their food before traveling again. Doryu stayed at the back with Taylen. The two told jokes, explained what their dream life would be, and talked about the upcoming coordination.

"What do you think Bokon will be like?" Doryu asked with a little bit of concern.

"If he's anything like he was as the Captain, strong and fierce. But I keep hearing that he'll most likely be a fair Lord to those who give him their loyalty."

"I keep forgetting that he was the Captain. Didn't he gain that position once he made sure that the Dragon Riders perished?" Taylen sighed, but he nodded his head.

"They were enemies of the Lord. It was his duty to fulfill the request of distinguishing them." Doryu turned to face the path ahead and kept eye contact off of Taylen. The Dragon Rider's had been a hard topic since he was a kid. Before Doryu was born, a Dragon Rider slaughtered their uncle in front of Taylen.

As the forest was beginning to clear out, the sun began to show more. A meadow laid ahead filled with ponds and hills.

"We'll cover what we can today. The Ashgonie Plains is quite large and will take a few hours to cover it and reach Oxgarde," Ronish called from the front of the wagon. The two brothers stared in awe at the meadow.

"Wow!" Doryu exclaimed. "I've never seen a meadow so big before."

"You've also never been out of Narris before." Taylen laughed as Doryu playfully hit his shoulder. Clement snickered and jerked his head as his rider pulled on his reins. As Doryu calmed the steed, he thought about the previous night and what Lorcan had said.

"Are you watching me, Lorcan?" Doryu mumbled under his breath.

Yes, it's my mission too. Doryu spun around to find where the owl was hiding but he was nowhere to be seen.

"How do you talk through the mind? It'd be a lot easier than me having to whisper."

It'd be best to wait. You may get frustrated with how difficult it may be and your companions could get suspicious.

"But we have a long way to go and it'll be boring. It'd keep me from asking questions," Doryu said. Even through the mind, he could hear the raspy voiced owl breath a heavy sigh.

Since you won't stay quiet about it, I suppose I could teach you, but I won't be as good as my master. A screech came from behind him. Doryu turned his head to see Lorcan fly past him and land on a tree branch ahead. It's almost like thinking to yourself. You must focus on who you'd like to talk to or others could hear if they are trained. Lorcan turned his head and whistled to a tree. A squirrel poked its head out a hole and flicked its bushy tail. Focus on her. Talk through the mind, not your mouth. Doryu glanced at the brown squirrel and tried to focus on her.

Hello, he spoke. The squirrel then responded.

Hello! Lorcan turned his head back to Doryu while he repositioned his wings.

Well, you're a fast learner, Lorcan spoke. Let's hope it stays that way. I'll teach you the basics until you reach Oxgarde. Filled with excitement, Doryu smiled at the bird as he began to fly to the next branch.

The two spent over three hours talking with different animals as they exited the forest and walked through the Ashgonie Plains. Doryu had communicated with multiple birds, chipmunks, and sometimes fish, although it was a little difficult as the water had blocked him a little. He even communicated with Clement, who was just about as excited as Doryu was to talk. Due to the fact that there were no trees around, Doryu would often slow Clement down and Lorcan would rest on the horse's rump.

The sun was just peeking over the horizon when the group came across a little pond where they watered the horses and declared they would sleep there that night. As Doryu was setting up stakes to tie the horses to, Lorcan flew up to him and landed on the ground beside him.

There are no trees for me to safely sleep in, therefore I will be heading back to the forest to rest. While I am gone, you must not venture off and listen to what Ronish says. Stay with your group and don't do anything stupid, Lorcan warned him

Alright, I understand. The owl sprawled out his wings and took to the evening sky. Doryu watched him until he disappeared before turning back to pounding stakes into the ground. Ronish and Taylen returned to the camp with fish dangling from their hands. As Renada started a fire, Doryu helped his father skin the fish's eyes out of its body.

With the fish roasting over the fire, the family settled down around the warmth. Renada, as usual, stuck her head into one of her books. Ronish and Deanna leaned against each other, and Taylen carved a spear point from a long stick with his pocket knife. Doryu had his thoughts on what was waiting for him in the forest once he returned. The oak trees were nothing but a small patch of darkness from where he resided.

Clement, are you still awake? Doryu asked once he found the steed's mind. He answered with a snort. I'm just wondering, what if being able to mind-sync makes me a terrible person? Someone different from society. Someone people would try to get a hold of me, using me because of my unique ability. He studied his hands that rested in his lap.

I think you'll find that out on your own. Doryu turned to face Clement, but the bay turned away from him.

"Doryu, here," Renada spoke softly as she shoved a plate with a fish to him. Looking down at the animal, Doryu felt sick. Why? It's food! There's no reason for this fish to make me feel like throwing up. As he grabbed a piece, his nostrils smelt the horrific smell and his stomach ached in pain. Throwing the fish on the ground, he stood up and grabbed the spare dagger from the wagon.

"Where are you going?" Taylen asked.

"I feel sick. I'm going to go somewhere in case I need to upchuck. I won't be long and won't be far." Concerned, Taylen watched his brother leave until he was out of his sight. Doryu went behind a bush and sat on a rock directed next to it. Throwing his dagger in the dirt, he held his stomach and hoped the pain would ease. While he watched the night sky and held his stomach, a strange voice entered his head.

Doryu... He spun around in fright. He made himself dizzy and his head began to hurt once the voice reentered. Doryu.

"Get out!" he screamed. He clenched his head tightly and closed his eyes as he tried to block out the sound. His body shook in both fear and pain.

Doryu! Abruptly, his mind went blank. His eyesight began to become black and foggy. He zoned out a few times while standing before collapsing onto the ground and falling unconscious.

Surrounded by darkness, Doryu dared not to move. His eyes adjusted to the lightning, but it was all a black void. His hand shook periodically. A silhouette of a woman appeared in the distance. Both curious and afraid, Doryu made his way to the person. As he walked, her image became more clear. Her hair was blonde like his but a little lighter. She had light blue eyes like the sky. Her skin was pale. She wore a long dress just above her shoes.

"Hello?" Doryu said quietly. The woman did not respond. Who is she? She looks an awful lot like me. Blue eyes, blonde hair, pale skin. He grabbed her hand to try and make her look at him, but it was unsuccessful. He ended up having to walk around to see her face, but it was pitch black.

"What the.." Smoke flared from the woman's face. Bulging green eyes stared directly at him. Before he knew what was happening, the woman split into two. Wings sprawled out and a tail coiled around a leg. Green scales brought lightness into the void. Doryu followed the neck to see the face of a mythical creature; a dragon. Its horns were straight with a bit of a curve at the end. The face was long and narrow. When the creature caught sight of Doryu, it didn't seem frightened or protective. It didn't show any emotion. Doryu felt like he needed to flee, but his body wouldn't move. Whether it was how scared he was or if something was keeping him still, he couldn't run away.

The green dragon made its way towards Doryu. Each foot step rumbled the ground slightly. Pulling its neck up, the dragon overlooked Doryu from above. It then opened its wings and slowly lowered its head. Doryu dared not to move. His hyperventilation made the situation worse. Yet, the dragon wasn't bothered by Doryu's presence or the noises he made. Pressing its snout into Doryu's stomach, it closed its eyes and breathed. The dragon shined brighter than before. When the dragon touched him, Doryu didn't feel scared anymore. Instead, he felt a sense of comfort and love. When the dragon opened its eyes, it lifted its head away from Doryu and disappeared, leaving Doryu in the darkness.

Slowly, Doryu began to wake up. The sun was blasting on him and blinded him before he could adjust. He moved his arm a little to feel the rough wood of the back of the wagon. Overhead, he could see the underbelly of Lorcan.

Lorcan, he called to the bird. The owl looked below him with his black eyes. What happened?

You fell unconscious. Taylen got worried about you and went to search. He found you passed out behind a bush. You tell me what happened. Was there anything that made you pass out?

There was this voice calling my name. It made me feel dizzy and caused me a lot of pain. Doryu groaned as he sat up and leaned his back against the wagon edge. His body was sore and couldn't move many muscles without hurting himself.

Don't get up too fast, Lorcan warned him. Deanna turned her head to notice her youngest son alive and moving.

"Ronish, stop the horse!" she cried. Ronish immediately pulled on the reins and watched his wife leap from the front seat and climb into the back. "How are you feeling? Are you hurt?"

"Mom, I'm fine," he winced as she pulled him closer to her.

"Deanna, stop, you're hurting him." The woman let go of Doryu at her husband's comment. "Do you remember anything before you fell unconscious?" Ronish asked.

"Uhh..." Doryu looked up at Lorcan for guidance.

Lie. They can't know the truth. The bird flew ahead a few feet and rested in a bush before Doryu could ask. Even though he hated lying to his family, Lorcan was right. They couldn't know the truth about his ability.

"No," he said faintly. Ronish stared at Doryu before asking Deanna to jump back in the front seat.

"Well, you woke up just in time," he spoke. Doryu looked over his parents head to see a large archway connected to a wall. Soldiers were positioned a few feet away from each other. Straight ahead of the road rested a large stone castle. From what Doryu could make out, the lettering on the archway said 'Oxgarde'.