“I think she’s awake!”

“Feather-foot! Get out of the way!”

Slowly, Heather realized that she was alive and in little pain. Opening her eyes, she was surprised to find that she wasn’t in a hospital. Candles burned near her bed and just as her eyes were adjusting to the light, the drapes were pulled back from the windows and bright sunlight flooded the room. “Where…am I?”

“At Treval, dear. Don’t fuss. Alraynn, can you get Kaylinn and tell her the girl that Balari dragged in is awake?”

“Of course!” a strange voice with an accent she couldn’t place said. Turning, she had enough time to see a large, green creature exit her room and disappear into the hallway.

“I didn’t drag her!” another voice said, higher in pitch and a bit annoying already. “I just found her. That’s all I did!”

“Well, whatever. How are you feeling, dear?”

“Treval?” Heather asked.

“Yes. It’s a world you probably haven’t heard about. Balari found you in a pile of twisted metal and such and, as you were hurt and no one else was there, he brought you here. You’re wounds are healed so if you want to…”

Realization dawned on Heather. “Oh no! The accident!”

The elderly woman frowned in perplexity. “Yes. You can always go back, you know. We just patched you up. Balari said you were near death and wouldn’t leave you behind. Must be the canine in him.” The woman reached down to pat something near her bed. Rolling over, Heather looked to see a strange looking dog with spikes on his neck and back looking up at her. He was green.

“Ah!” Heather screamed, leaping back along the pillows as the 'dog' placed two paws on the linens with a canine grin.

“He’s a canine whorling from the EverRealm. He’s friendly. This is a strange world to you. Magic, dragons, and creatures you’ve never heard of. You’re welcome to stick around if you like till you’re able to Travel.”

Feeling suddenly tired, Heather lay down, rolling over to her side and pulling the sheets up to her closer. Understanding, the woman let her sleep though she let Balari stay behind as the whorling did not want to go back to the city just yet.

When Heather awoke, the green creature that she had seen leaving was in the room. After watching it for a few moments in the dark, Heather realized this must be a dragon of some sort. As Alraynn, if she remembered right, went to the window and began to play with the curtain strings, Heather gathered up her courage and sat up.  “Are you a dragon?”

Turning, the creature blinked. “Oh, you are awake. That is good. Yes, a Daemon from Avengaea, actually. How are you feeling? Any better?”

“Yes. At least I think so.”

“Would you like to get out and have some fresh air? It would probably be good for you.”

Knowing that she really should get up, Heather rose. Alraynn pointed to some cloths next to her bed and though they were dresses, simple ones thankfully, Heather slipped them on then followed the Daemon into the halls. Alraynn was a friendly dragon – thing – and was happy to explain Treval to her. After filling her belly with delightfully delicious food, Heather allowed Alraynn to take her around the city and even to the Keep where the Dragonry was located.

“How does one bond a dragon?” Heather asked as the sun set over the mountains.

“You have to go somewhere and stand for a clutch, usually,” Alraynn said. “There are a few places that have a clutch right now but we can’t force you to stand anywhere.”

Heather didn’t say anything and finally said that she wanted to go home. Alraynn took her back and she slept. She wondered what her parents thought. And Braden. His kiss still lingered on her skin. Would she ever see him again?

In the last few days of her recovery, she found that she was free to go back to Earth whenever she wished. Unsure of what she would find when she went back, she asked Balari go to back and see what had happened. When he came back, the whorling reported that she was presumed dead. Her body was missing in the accident which was baffling the investigators (only Balari seemed proud of this). Alraynn kept her company. Finally, Heather decided that she should stay mostly because she didn’t want to explain what had happened to her. Alraynn agreed. Most people on Earth would not accept that there was another world out there, much less with magic and dragons.

After traveling with Alraynn to many other places, Heather decided that she wanted to try for a dragon. The Abstract Destiny, was strange as it was, was something that sparked her attention. Not only that, but the preview photos of the dragons from the clutch reminded her a bit of Balari (who was back in the city streets). After Alraynn promised her to find Braden and bring him here, Heather settled herself into a life at the Destiny and promised if Alraynn was unable to bring Braden to her, she would eventually go to Braden.

He was to cute to let one of the Nelson girls take him! And his kiss was to die for.