"I'm telling you," I hissed, my voice low, "He is involved."

Amber and I sat in the dorm room, the dark of night outside casting shadows into our room. Her blue eyes were troubled.

"I don't doubt that," Amber said thoughtfully, "But we can't assume things without knowing what's going on. It could be a coincidence." She pointed out, but I could hear the doubt she held in her own words.

"Yeah," I retorted loudly, before hurriedly lowering my voice again, "A pretty big coincidence. New kid, suspicious dragon, goes missing during when the attack takes place, doesn't show up at the following assembly, even his creepy shadow magic... The clues pile up, Amber."

She rubbed at her forehead with a sigh.

"Even if he is involved, what are we going to do about it?" She asked.

"For one, we could tell the Dean. We could also confront him with our dragons backing us up, to know if he truly is behind this attack." I glanced over out the massive window, where the Academy was glowing softly in the dark of night.

"We'll tell the Dean if it was really his fault. If he really did it," Amber spoke, her resolve solid. I nodded in agreement. "Next time I see him, I will find out." I clenched my fist. "Two dragons are dead, Amber. Nine eggs stolen. We cannot let this slide."

"You're right." She yawned, tired. "For now, let's get some rest. We have Youth Guard tomorrow." Then she clicked off the lamp, and I sat back in my bed, anger boiling inside me. Those dragons did not deserve to die. And who knows where the eggs were now? Were they shattered somewhere, never living to see the sunlight?

"Night, Amber." I murmured, turning to look out at the Academy.

So much for being the best guarded area in Yer, Tazanna.

I woke up at 4:30 AM, my eyelids feeling like stones. Amber was still snoring. It was still dark outside. We had to be at the Academy's perimeter by 5:00. I threw my legs over the side of my bed and then stepped off, ignoring the urge to flop back down. I then proceeded to wake Amber, who grumbled in protest, and get dressed for the day.

Dean Ramino had already established a Night Guard of her most elite warriors. She had called for reinforcements as well, but there was a good chance it would still be another week or so. The Dean had sent out a search party last night for the stolen eggs. There would be a funeral for Lucianna and Rosemary this evening.

The Youth Guard had a special uniform we had to wear. It was like a black body suit, with a silvery pattern on the back, as well as knees down. We were given practical black boots as well. I felt like Katniss Everdeen.

By 4:45 we were both ready. I had quickly slung my hair up in a ponytail. So had Amber.

"Time to go," I whispered, my voice quiet. Amber and I stepped out of the dorm room and then strode nearly silently down the hallway, stairs and then another hallway leading towards the meeting place Dean Ramino had instructed us the previous day.

Lana.

Yes, Avyn?

I'm here.

We're on our way.

I'll see you soon, then.

Yes.

We exited one of the many small side doors, which were enchanted so only students and staff could get through them, and there I saw the rest of the Youth Guard, as well as Avyn and Rainsong, who looked to be communicating in their own separate telepathic link.

"Hey," Julian Dunkeld, one of the kids from my year, gave us a small wave and a friendly smile. I smiled back at him and his dragon. His dragon had leathery grey-brown skin, rippling with muscles, no scales except on the back of his neck, a long, snake-like tail, and his eyes glowed white. His wings were leathery and looked a bit tattered.

"Avyn," I murmured, seeing my dragon. He turned at the sound of my voice and nuzzled my head. I laughed, stroking his snout. There was a few more minutes given, and then when everyone arrived, Professor Rapashka (melee combat) and Professor Ophaz (dragon combat), began speaking, the dean hovering behind them, her eyes serious.

"Alright. As members of the Youth Guard it is your duty to protect your school from the troubling threat we face. You will, of course, soon have adult backup, but for now this will have to do." Professor Rapashka seemed a little embarrassed to have to say that.

"Now," Professor Ophaz gestured to twenty piles of dragon armor, each with a nametag of a certain dragon, "Each dragon will get their own armor set. We cannot take any risks," The man's eyes darkened ominously, "We do not know what these attackers are capable of, or even who they are." Then he added, "If you do not have first shift, you will take your dragons' armor off. We all must know how to armor a dragon, though."

With that, everyone set off to their own pile and began attaching piece after piece of armor onto their dragons. The professors walked around, giving instructions and help to anyone who needed it.

I fastened a chest plate, tail plate, head plate, even claw extenders onto Avyn. He stretched his neck around to view his shining new silver armor. I chuckled at how even now, with the threat of the attack, he was excited to see how he looked.

Once everyone was finished, the dean gave out instructions to everyone. Members of the Youth Guard would have to miss a few classes here and there, do to their shifts guarding the borders. Hopefully, we wouldn't need to do so much guarding.

Amber and I didn't have one of the first shifts. We were allowed to go back to our dorms for the rest of the morning. Our first shift started at 10:00 in the morning and went until 11:00. Our second shift was from 2:00-3:00. Our third and final shift would be from 6:00-7:00. At 8, the Night Guard took over instead.

"I never thought anything like this would happen," confessed Shana, looking worried, as we sat at the lunch table.

"I know," I cast my eyes down. I could feel Avyn's own anxiety from where he sat next to me.

"It's just so awful," Shana teared up, "Two dragons dead? Who knows who's next?" Then she turned to Alya. "I'll do anything I can to protect you. Anything." Alya and her exchanged a glance and the leafy green dragon nuzzled her rider. Shana rubbed her snout with affection.

"This really is awful," I turned to see Amber picking at her salad distastefully. "I mean, everyone knows Starsky has been safe for hundreds of years. Why now? What could it be?"

"I know what it is," I growled, and Amber shot a glance at me. Shana looked up at me, eyes wide. "What is it?" She leaned in.

"The new kid. Aiden Blackwell. I don't trust him one bit." I hissed.

Shana looked confused. "What's wrong with him?"

I rolled my eyes. "Just about everything. All the evidence points to him being behind the attacks."

Shana tucked her orange hair behind her ear. "He does seemed a little suspicious," She conceded, now thoughtful, "But you don't know anything for sure, right?"

"I know, Amber told me that too," I sighed. "It's just... I guess I might be jumping to conclusions. I need to talk to him sometime about it." My eyes hardened. "I need to confront him."

The lunch bell rang.