The stadium was absolutely massive and had high walls with arches and pillars with carvings of daring battles and dragons etched into walls, along with some newer-looking carvings displaying an array of colorful language. The walls were built from the same blue-tinged stone that the whole village was made from. There were raised seats around the edges, cut off from the main arena in the center by large metal chains. The overall effect reminded Evalon of pictures she'd seen of ancient architecture in her history text books.

The stadium appeared to be a teen hangout hot-spot. Kids ranging from age eleven to eighteen were gathering in the main arena, running back and forth, throwing things and one another, or simply standing in a circle, talking about mundane things that seemed to enthrall the teenage mind. Evalon could see why the stadium was so crowded. It had everything. There was a running track wrapped around the edges of the arena, a ventimix court on one side, and a swimming pool on the other. There were jungle gyms, obstacle courses, playgrounds, and strange, foreign-looking contraptions with younger children dangling from that Evalon didn't recognize. There was one apparatus that looked suspiciously like a catapult.

"Well, what do you think?" Elen asked, sweeping her arm toward the arena. "Pretty cool, right?"

"What is this place?" Evalon asked, wide-eyed as she tried to take in the sight.

"The stadium. It was built ages ago, but we've kind of made it into our own little social gathering place."

"What's all this stuff doing here?"

"We hold all sports competitions here, so the place is equipped with anything and everything you could possibly need for butt-kicking-- I mean, a friendly competition. Speaking of which, there's going to be a tournament in a few weeks. I totally forgot about it."

"What kind of tournament?" Evalon asked curiously.

Before Elen could answer a tall, thin boy with dark eyes and a sloppy mop of hair came up to them. He was smiling widely and Evalon could see he had a large gap between his front teeth.

"Hey, Elen," the boy said.

"Hi, Tomi," Elen smiled.

"Who's your friend?" the boy called Tomi asked, tilting his chin toward Evalon. 

Evalon shrunk away and tried to make herself as unnoticeable as possible, trying to hide. Elen, however, was not going to let her hide. She grabbed Evalon's wrist and pulled her forward. "This is Evalon. She just moved here last night from Gilsalot, or whatever you call it. Evalon, this is Tomi, my neighbor."

Tomi gave her a huge, friendly smile only broken by the large gap in his teeth. "Nice to meet you, Evalon," he said politely. "Elen been showing you around the place? Did you take her to see Bustier's shop? I hear he's got some new waks on display."

Evalon's curiosity wanted to inquire what a wak was, but her lips refused to form the question.

"Not yet," Elen answered. "You know how crowded it is this time of day." Ellen's voice suddenly turned serious. "How's your mom, Tomi?"

Tomi froze, the smile on his face became strained, and a sadness entered his  eyes. "Not much improvement," he admitted, the cheeriness in his voice sounding tight. "But, she hasn't progressed through the symptoms as quickly as Antoinette thought she would."

Elen smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. I'll be coming over later with a soup from my mom."

"Sage oat soup?" the boy asked hopefully, perking up a bit.

Evalon wrinkled her nose at the mention of the oats that had plagued her breakfast. Nether Tomi nor Elen seemed to notice.

Elen laughed. "Of course. Give your mother my best."

Tomi nodded. "Will do." Just then, a group of boys a few meters away called Tomi's name, waving him over. "Better go," he said. "Don't want to keep the guys waiting." He turned to Evalon and smiled again. "Welcome to Mydalr." He bounded off to join his group of awaiting friends.

"What's wrong with his mother?" Evalon asked quietly, as thought asking the question too loudly might be disrespectful.

Elen's voice was thick as she said, "The Tyrag Scourge."

Evalon's blood froze. "The Scourge?" she repeated quietly, her voice barely above a squeak.

Elen nodded. "She came down with a fever a few weeks ago when she got home from a feeding shift at the Keeps. She was all hot and sweaty, but everyone thought it was just a cold or flu that would pass. Days went by and it didn't; it got worse. That's when the rash on her legs appeared."

"The first symptom," Evalon whispered in fear.

Again, Elen nodded. "She's been quarantined in her her own room for three weeks. Tomi's dad's been taking time off work to take care of her."

"What has the physician done to help her?"

Elen shrugged. "What she can. All of the physicians in Mydalr are primarily for dragons. Antoinette does her best with the people, though, even though she's never had any formal training."

Evalon sure hoped she never got sick while she lived here; she wasn't sure how she felt about a woman who didn't know exactly what she was doing treating her. "That's so sad," she managed to say.

"Yes, it is," Elen agreed. "The worst part about it is not being able to do anything. Like with the dragons in the cages," she added as an afterthought.

I might not be able to do anything about the dragons, Evalon thought, but I know someone who can. The thought gave her a hope and a strange sense of... purpose that she had never felt before. How great it would be to have an influence in the promotion of welfare for dragons! The thought made Evalon smile.

"You said something about a tournament?" Evalon reminded Elen, changing the subject

"Oh, right," Elen's smile brightened. "Every three months or so we have an epic tournament. It's basically just really complex obstacle course, but deadlier." Elen's smile was so wide and genuine Evalon couldn't tell if she was joking or not. "They're really fun, but, of course," Elen continued, "they're nothing compared to Gathering Day. That's-"

"I know what it is," Evalon cut her off. She couldn't help but feel a little indignant. She may have been the new girl, but she was no slouch when it came to all things dragon.

Gathering Day was perhaps the most important day of the year in Eslait; even those who knew nothing of dragons knew what it was. On Gathering Day, the youth of Mydalr would take to the woods and collect dragon eggs and hatchlings to work with and train and, eventually, be added to the ranks of the dragon air force. Of course, it was very dangerous and risky, as the dragons had to be taken from their nests, which where anywhere from a tiny whole in the ground to a cave high up on a smooth cliff face. To add the fun, there was also the risk of running into adult dragons, or that a hatchling would call out for help. Getting the biggest, nastiest dragon from the most dangerous place had become a bit of a game among the youth. But despite the dangers, coming back to the village without a dragon was not acceptable. Any who returned dragon-less would be forever shamed and seen as weak, a free-loader, destined for a glamour-less life. It was also the only way to get accepted at the Dragonknights Academy, the one and only school for Dragonknight training.

"Oh, great! 'Cause you're going to get to participate this year!" Ellen's excited chirp brought Evalon out of her thoughts reviewing everything she knew about Gather Day.

"Wait-- what? M-m-m-me? A-at Gathering Day?" Evalon's face paled, but Elen didn't seem to notice.

"So exciting, right? This will be my first one, too! I'm finally at the age of eligibility. You're thirteen, right?" She continued without an answer.

Elen's voice drifted off to a far-away echo as fear seemed to completely clap around Evalon's heart. Her? Participate in a Gathering Day? It was too absurd to even picture. She could never find the courage to venture so close to a nest, never mind  steal a baby dragon from its mother.

"Can you believe it?" Ellen's question broke through Evalon's thoughts again.

"Believe what?"

"That Gathering Day is only a month away!" she said, excitement in every tone of her voice.

"I can't wait," Evalon murmured.

"You've been gone awhile. How was your day?" Mylane asked as she stirred something in a pot on the stove. Evalon hoped it wasn't more sage oatmeal.

"Alright."

"Did Elen show you around the village?" Mylane asked as Evalon sat down at the counter.

Evalon nodded. "She took me to her house. These are for you." She lifted the basket of bingbutters onto the counter and Mylane's eyes widened.

"Are those-?"

"Bingbutters," Evalon said, nodding. "Grayse sent them."

"Oh, bless that woman's heart," Evalon's aunt sang as she selected one and began to suck on it. "Mmm," she said in a satisfied way. "I've forgotten how magical these are." She popped the rest of it into her mouth and reached for another.

Evalon reached for one herself but noticed that there were only a handful left. She decided to leave the rest for Mylane and Uncle Hyron. She had already had more than her fair share.

"So, what do you think of the village?" Aunt Mylane asked, turning back to her cooking.

"It's... not what I thought it would be," she answered honestly.

"I thought it would be different as well," Mylane admitted. "It's hardly changed since we left."

"It hasn't changed in thirteen years?" Evalon asked, eyes wide.

"Well, not as much as I expected. I would have thought Mydalr would have expanded somewhat, modernized a bit, you know. But the newest thing I've seen is a watchtower."

"Huh. Why haven't they?" Evalon wondered.

"The dragons, I suppose," Mylane said, her voice taking on that edge Evalon had noticed she always did when she mentioned the scaly beasts. "They are our nation's most power asset, after all. All the manpower is probably being spent caring for them."

It was as good an explanation as any, and it made sense to Evalon. "I like that it hasn't changed," she admitted. "I like the feeling of history around here."

Mylane laughed. "Of course you do. History was your best subject."

"Speaking of history..." Evalon started slowly. "Elen was talking to be about Gathering Day. She said-" Evalon didn't get any more out before her aunt started shouting.

"No. No, absolutely not. You will not be participating with that deadly, so-called 'sport'. There's not flex on this. You. Will. Not. Be. Participating." Aunt Mylane's face was very red, like she was having trouble controlling her temper and her nostrils were flaring.

"I-I-I-I don't want to," Evalon stammered quietly, taken aback by her aunt's outburst.

Mylane narrowed her eyes like she didn't believe her. "You don't?"

Evalon shook her head. "The dragons don't deserve to be taken from their nests." Her voice was barely a whisper.

Mylane sighed, all her anger gone. "I'm sorry I shouted, dear. I just get so worried about your safety. You're like a daughter to me and... I don't know what I would do without you."

Evalon gave a small, embarrassed smile, still a little shaken from her aunt's outburst. "You'd probably be making dinner for only two," she said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Mylane threw back her head and laughed, which helped melt away some of the nervousness in Evalon's chest. "You're probably right."

"Where is Hyron?" Evalon looked around, but her uncle was no where to be found.

"He's still at work," Mylane said. "He said he might have to work late the first few days."

"Do you know when he'll be back?"

"Probably not until after you're in bed. Why, did you need something?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Evalon said, feeling embarrassed that her aunt could read her so easily.

"I can always help, you know," Aunt Mylane offered.

"It's not a big deal," she said casually. Except it was a big deal. Dragons where being unjustly kept in cages when they should be free to roam the skies, fly to the moon and back. But what could Mylane do? She had no sway with the Dragon Control Association like Hyron did. And, even if she did, could Evalon really trust that Mylane would agree with her? That the dragons should be treated better, not caged and treated like wild animals? No, she wouldn't, and Evalon knew it. If anything Mylane would insist that the DCA tighten security around the dragons.

"You sure?" her aunt asked.

"Really, it can wait," she insisted.

"If you're sure." Evalon could tell her aunt wasn't convinced by her nonchalance, but she was glad when Mylane let the matter drop. "Did you meet anyone else? Make any new friends?"

"Well, I Elen told me just about anything and everything about each person we passed," Evalon said thoughtfully.

Mylane laughed. "I'm not surprised. That girl was always a babbling as a babe. Even in her sleep!"

"She does talk a lot. I tried to listen to her, but she just talked so fast! I think she may have had too many bingbutters." Evalon smiled at her own joke.

Mylane smiled, too. "Just like her mother, then. Grayse and I grew up together in Gisla. Then we both moved here when we married and remained close ever since." She paused. "When Hyron and I moved away I never thought we would lose touch like we have."

"Maybe now's a good time to reconnect," Evalon suggested. "You could invite her and her family over for dinner."

"That's a great idea. Would you take care of that?"

Evalon reeled back. "What?"

"Will you go and invite them over for dinner tomorrow night?"

"W-what? Right now?"

Mylane laughed. "Of course right now. Grayse practically lives at the stove; she'll have already started her family's supper by tomorrow, so better to invite them now so she doesn't spend all that time making food no one will eat. If they accept our invitation, of course."

Evalon sat there for a moment, struck with fear. It was one thing to be dragged into the Clerke house by Elen. It was another thing entirely to consciously walk up and knock on the front door.

"Go on, up you get, before Grayse starts cooking a four-course meal." Mylane didn't seem to notice her niece's discomfort.

Evalon wasn't sure how long she stood outside the front door, but she knew it was long enough for the sun to just kiss the tops of the mountain peaks that surrounded Mydalr. For a long time she wrestled with herself, waging an inner war on whether to knock on the door or not.

Nothing bad is going to happen, the rational part of her brain said. It's just knocking on the door.

But then someone will answer the door, the not-so-rational part of her brain pointed out.

That's kind of the point.

She fought with herself for a long time before she took a deep breath, grit her teeth, shakily brought up her fist, and rapped on the door twice.

Evalon only counted to seven before the door swung open. She had expected Elen to answer, but instead Evalon was standing face-to-face with Elen's cousin, Fin.

"Oh, hi," he said pleasantly. "It's Teflon, right?"

"E-E-Evalon," she stammered quietly. She wondered briefly what he was still doing at Elen's house. Did he live with them? Or was he simply staying for dinner?

"Oh, sorry," he said. "My bad. I'll bet you're here for Elen. I'll get her for you." He tilted his head back into the house and called, "Elen! Your new friend's here to see you!" before Evalon could even say that, no, she was actually here to speak to Grayse.

"Just a second!" Elen's voice replied from somewhere deep in the house.

"She'll be right out," Fin told Evalon as though she hadn't heard her shouting inside.

Evalon nodded and stared hard at the ground. They stood in an awkward silence. Evalon rubbed the chain on her neck.

"So," Fin said, putting his hands in his pockets and leaning against the doorframe, "what do you think of Mydalr?"

"It's nice," she murmured, not looking at him. She hugged herself.

Fin laughed. "Just nice? Nothing else? Well, I guess our little town can't compare to... where did you say you were from, again?"

"Gisla," she forced herself to say.

"That's right. I think I read about Gisla in a history book. Isn't that where the Leaning Stones are?"

"Uh, yes."

Fin must have heard the surprise in her voice, because he smiled and said, "I love history. It's my favorite subject in school, especially the history of dragons. I just find it so fascinating."

A small, shy smile tugged on the corner of Evalon's lips. How surprising that she had found someone who was as taken with history as she was.

"Have you ever been there?" Fin's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Been where?"

"The Leaning Stones."

"Oh. Um, yes, once with my uncle."

"I'll bet it was awesome!" He smiled, flashing two small dimples on his face.

His smile was contagious, and Evalon felt herself smiling softly as she nodded. "It was. I got to climb all the way to the top."

Evalon remember the day clearly. It had been the middle of winter, so there weren't many other people around. It had snowed the night before, so the ground was covered in a layer of fresh white powder that stuck to Evalon's boots. The cart had gotten stuck a mile from the Stones, so Evalon and Hyron had had to trek through the snow to reach the monument. It had been worth it, though, when Evalon, huffing and puffing from the exertion of hiking, caught her breath at the sight of the twelve long, impossibly large stones all leaning against a slightly shorter but still absurdly tall stone sticking straight out of the ground, the only thing keeping the larger stones somewhat standing. The structure resembled a campfire.

"Really?" Fin said interestedly. "That's incredible! I wish I could go. I've never been outside of Mydalr."

Evalon didn't know how to reply. But thankfully she was saved by the appearance of Elen, who was panting and had sweat running down her face. "Sorry. I was downstairs," she panted, as if that were the only explanation needed.

"That's alright," Fin smiled. "We were just talking about the Leaning Stones."

"What's that?" Elen asked. "Some kind of landslide?"

"It's a monument of twelve stones in a circle all leaning on top of a long rock in the middle. It was built by Eslaitians over two thousand years ago," Fin told her.

"Three thousand," Evalon corrected before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened in fear that she may have angered Fin and she clamped her mouth shut before she could say anything further.

To her surprise, Fin laughed. "Three thousand is still over two thousand, isn't it? We're both right." When Evalon dared a glance in his direction she saw he was smiling good naturedly. 

"Anyway," Elen said, "what can I do for you?"

"Oh, uh, um..." Evalon's mind was a blank. What had she been sent here for? She couldn't recall.

"Oh, Evalon, you're back." Grayse appeared in the doorway behind her daughter and nephew. "Good to see you, darlin'. Would you like to come in for dinner?"

Dinner! That's what she was here for!

"Oh, uh, no thank you," she mumbled politely. "Aunt Mylane has dinner cooking right now. She sent me over to invite you and your family to dinner tomorrow night."

"Oh, how kind," Grayse beamed. "Of course, we'd be happy to come, thank you."

"Uh, great," Evalon said. "I guess I'll be off, then. See you," she said to Elen.

"See you later, girl," Elen replied with a wave.